Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Kennedy, James ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 28, 2008, 11:19 pm Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907 James Kennedy is the owner of valuable farming property in Florence township, Will county, and is well known as one of the most prominent stock-raisers, breeders and shippers. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in September, 1837, and is a son of John and Catherine (Cochran) Kennedy. The father crossed the Atlantic to the United States in a sailing vessel in 1856 and landed at New York city, where he resided for three years. He then came to the middle west, settling on section 25, Florence township, Will county, Illinois, where he purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land, on which he built a dwelling. He then turned the sod and developed the fields and later he extended the boundaries of his place by the purchase of an additional eighty acres. Upon this property he spent his remaining days, engaged in farming and stock- raising. He and his wife were members of the Wilton Roman Catholic church and his political allegiance was given to Jacksonian democracy. He died on Thanksgiving day of 1890 at the venerable age of ninety years, while his wife passed away August 23, 1863, at the age of sixty-five years. They were the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter: Thomas, who died in November, 1894, at the age of fifty-nine years; James, of this review; Margaret, who is the widow of John Quigley and resides in Wilton township; and John, who married Catharine Shay and is living in Greene county, Iowa. James Kennedy spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native land and when in his eighteenth year sought a home in the new world, crossing the Atlantic on a sailing vessel which weighed anchor at Liverpool and reached the harbor of New York on the 2d of May, 1855. He remained in New York city for about three years and in 1858 came to Florence township, Will county, where he has since resided. He then purchased eighty acres of land and today is the owner of four hundred and forty acres of well improved and valuable farm land. In 1883 he built a fine residence and has made all modern improvements on his property. He has bred high-grade cattle, hogs and horses and has shipped his stock to the Chicago market. His business has steadily developed and as the years have passed he has gained a measure of prosperity which is most gratifying—all the more so because it is the direct result of his own labors. On the 16th of July, 1864, Mr. Kennedy was united in marriage, in Wilmington, to Miss Margaret Barrett, who was born in New York city, April 28, 1843, and is a daughter of John and Mary (Walsh) Barrett. Her father was born in County Cork, Ireland, and died March 27, 1891, at the age of eighty-seven years, while the mother, whose birth occurred in County Waterford, Ireland, passed away January 14, 1891, at the age of eighty-two years. They were married in Manhattan, Illinois, in 1840 and became the parents of four children, but Mrs. Kennedy is the only one now living. It was in 1838 that her father came to the new world by sailing vessel, reaching Portland, Maine, after a voyage of six weeks. He lived in that city for about two years and in 1840 removed to New York city, where he spent sixteen years. He was on the police force during the last seven years of that period and in 1855 he came to Will county, settling on section 35, Florence township, where he spent his remaining days engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He was a member of the St. Rosa's Roman Catholic church at Wilmington and in politics was a Jacksonian democrat. He displayed many good traits of character and for a long period was classed with the enterprising, honorable and successful agriculturists of the county. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy has been blessed with sixteen children, of whom ten are now living: Catherine, who is the widow of Cornelius Norton and resides in Florence township; Thomas, who married Julia Long and is living in Florence township; James; Margaret, the wife of William Barry, of Chicago; Michael, who wedded Margaret O'Connor, of Florence township; William, who married Margaret Barry and lives in Symerton; Daniel; Mary, the wife of Thomas Stanton, a resident of Chicago Heights; Andrew; and Francis. There are also nine grandchildren. Mr. Kennedy has served as school director for eighteen years and the cause of education finds in him a warm and stalwart friend. He was also pathmaster in the early days of his residence here. He and his wife first attended church, at the home of Roger Waters, for there was no church building here at that time but later they became communicants of St. Rosa's Roman Catholic church at Wilmington, with which they are still identified. His political allegiance has always been given to the democracy and he has kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day. For more than a half century he has resided in the new world and since 1858 has lived in Florence township, being one of its most valued residents. He had but little capital when he came to the new world but as the years have passed by he has accumulated a goodly competence and is today the owner of very valuable property, so that he is enabled to enjoy those comforts which go to make life worth living. His record should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, showing what may be accomplished by firm and determined purpose, by unfaltering diligence and by laudable ambition. Additional Comments: PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/kennedy2687nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb