Owen Kelley
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
USGENWEB Montana Archives
May be copied for non-profit purposes.

Owen Kelley, one of Montana's respected pioneer farmers was 
born in County Cavan Ireland in 1835, a son of Patrick 
and Catherine (Evans) Kelley, also natives of that country. 
They were industrious farmers and devout Catholics. The 
father died at the age of forty-five years after which the 
mother came to reside with her sons in Missoula, her death 
occurring when ninety years of age.

Owen Kelley, one of six children, four sons and two daughters, 
received his early education in his native land. When 
only fifteen years of age he started alone on the long sea 
voyage to America to make his own way in the world in the 
"land of the free." His first work was in Connecticut, in a 
cotton mill, for which he received 75 cents a day and 
boarded himself. He was subsequently promoted until he received 
$2 a day. In 1858 Mr. Kelley started for the golden 
State and after arriving in San Francisco, mined on the Yuba 
River, in Siskiyou County, also in various other places, 
meeting with fair success. From that place he went to Florence 
on the Salmon River, shortly afterward to Boise Basin, 
Idaho and in July 1865 came to Montana, first locating at Helena. 
After mining and prospecting for a time, Mr. Kelley 
went with the Sun River stampede in the winter of 1865 and 
during the journey many of the miners suffered severely 
with the cold, a number having been frozen to death. Our 
subject mined, with good success at Beaver Gulch, his largest 
nugget of gold being worth $56. He also mined at Cedar Creek 
but like all miners, found and lost money.

From that place, he came to his present location in the Bitter 
Root Valley, four miles west of where now stands the 
beautiful and thriving city of Missoula. In that early day Mr. 
Kelley pre-empted 160 acres of land, also homesteaded
160 acres, has since added another 160 acres and now owns one 
of the finest farms in his section of the county. 
The land is adapted to raising wheat, oats and all kinds of 
vegetables. In partnership with his brother William, 
Mr. Kelley is extensively engaged in the stock business.

September 15, 1883, our subject was united in marriage with 
Susan Madden, also a native of Ireland. They have four 
children--William, Nellie, Mary and Owen. 

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