THOMAS FINNEGAN.
Thomas Finnegan, an Atchison county pioneer, who came to this county forty-eight years ago, is a successful farmer of Shannon township, and has resided on his present place for forty years. Thomas Finnegan is a native of Ireland, born in 1842, and is a son of Patrick and Hanora Finnegan. The father died when Thomas was less than a year old, and the mother came to this country, and died in Atchison county, at the home of her son, Thomas, in 1899, at the remarkably advanced age of 102 years.
When Thomas Finnegan immigrated to America, he first settled in Connecticut, where he remained for five years. He then went to Iowa, remaining in that State for fifteen years. While living in Iowa he worked out by the month a great deal and often worked for as low as eight dollars per month. In March, 1867, he came to Kansas, and after spending a short time in Atchison county, removed to Doniphan county, and for about two years worked at breaking prairie land with ox teams. He followed farming about two years in Doniphan county, and was also interested in a threshing outfit, which he operated for a time, and in 1870 he returned to Atchison county, and in 1871 bought 160 acres of land in Shannon township, where he has since been engaged in farming and has met with uniform success. He has one of the best farms in Atchison county, under an excellent state of cultivation, with a large producing orchard. Mr. Finnegan is a great lover of trees and timber, and in the early days in Kansas planted a great many trees, and now has a fine grove on his place, with many large maple, elm and walnut trees, as well as cottonwood, which adds greatly to the appearance of his place.
During the war Mr. Finnegan was employed as a Government teamster, and in 1863 he drove transfer teams in St. Louis. He was married in 1869 to Miss Anne Morley, a native of Ireland, born in 1850. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan: Nora married J. J. Slattery, Shannon township; John resides in Atchison; Mary married Joseph Schlesbaum, Atchison; Thomas, Houston, Tex.; James resides in California; Margaret married Joseph Longan, Doniphan county; Agatha resides at home, and Roger, farmer, Atchison county. Mr. Finnegan leans to independence in politics, and the family are members of the Catholic church.