Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Kinsella, Jeremiah A 1858 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 6, 2007, 2:43 pm

Author: Portrait & Bios Album, 1890

JEREMIAH A. KINSELLA, a native of Illinois, is one of the leading farmers of 
this section of the State, and is extensively engaged in stock-raising, owning 
two large and valuable farms, one in this and one in Grundy County, he making 
his home on his estate in Troy Township. He was born in the township of 
Dresden, Grundy County, June 7, 1858, his birthplace being but a few miles 
from where he now lives in Will County. His parents were James and Eliza 
(Kinsella) Kinsella. They came to Illinois in 1843, when the canal was being 
built, and Mr. Kinsella, with his father, Andrew Kinsella, made contracts to 
assist in its construction, and the State still owes them for part of their 
work. At the time the scrip which was issued to them in payment was good for 
nothing only to secure them public land, and as they already owned thirteen 
hundred acres they did not care for more and allowed the scrip to go to waste, 
or be destroyed, as it had no special value. After their death our subject 
made fruitless efforts to collect the sum owing them, which amounted to 
$20,000. The mother of our subject died when he was but four years of age, and 
his father died a year later. Thus, unfortunately deprived of his parents, he 
fell to the kindly care of his uncle, Garrett Kinsella, his mother's brother, 
who reared and educated him as his own, and at the time of his death left him 
his beautiful and valuable farm of six hundred and twenty-two acres, in 
addition to the homestead in Grundy County, of three hundred and fifty-six 
acres which he inherited from his father. His uncle died in 1880, leaving 
behind him a name and memory that will ever be revered in this county, where 
he was so well known. He was a man of more than ordinary ability and business 
tact and accumulated a goodly amount of property. He was greatly respected by 
his neighbors, and although he cared but little for public life, still he took 
an active part in the management of local affairs, and was Supervisor for 
several terms. He was a leading man among the Democrats of this vicinity. Our 
subject was reared in Minooka and there laid the basis of a solid education, 
being a bright and active scholar. At the early age of twelve years he was 
admitted to Manhattan College, from which he was graduated with honor in 1876, 
after having pursued a fine course of study. After the completion of his 
education he returned to Troy to live with his uncle. He received from him a 
careful training in the management of the property which he was to inherit, 
and has since become one of the foremost stock-raisers in the county, making a 
specialty of buying and feeding cattle, devoting the large amount of grain he 
raises wholly to that purpose. He ships his stock to the Chicago market, and 
often ships as many as nine car-loads a season. He rents his father's 
homestead to good advantage and derives a fine income from that and the 
proceeds of the other estate. Mr. Kinsella was married March 9, 1886, to Miss 
Kate C., daughter of John and Mary (Carroll) Smith. Her father was a native of 
Lockport, N.Y., and a son of Thomas Smith. Our subject and his wife have two 
children—Norine and Evelyn. Mr. Kinsella is a Democrat in politics, and a 
Catholic in religion, being a valued member of St. Mary's Church, in Minooka. 
He is a frank, open-hearted man, contributing generously to the support of the 
church and anything that will benefit the public, besides being liberal in the 
use of his money for charitable and other purposes. Inheriting a large 
property, he has shown himself to be fully equal to its management, bringing 
to its work a well-trained and cultured mind, and by sagacious and systematic 
methods has greatly improved its value.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

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