After the Blackhawk war, two militia companies were organized in Quincy, the “Quincy Rifles” and the “Montgomery Guards,” the latter principally Irish, organized and commanded by Timothy Kelley, who was afterwards killed at the battle of Buena Vista, Mexico. We were unable to secure a roster of Captain Kelley’s Militia Company, but from men of his time, we were informed that the following were among its members: William Kelley, a brother of Timothy; William Kennedy, James Ryan, James O’Connor, a veteran of 1812; Thomas Landon, Oliver and William Geary, William Thompson, Thomas Mannix, John Dwyer, Richard Grant, James Dillon, James Sheerin, Michael Corcary, Thomas Leahey, Bernard McDermott, John McDaniel, James Clark, Thomas Kenney, Andrew Malone, Daniel Moore, John Sheeney, William Shaw and Thomas Hickey, who still survives at the age of eighty years, in the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors’ Home at Quincy. John Kelley, a son of William, served honorably in an Ohio regiment during the war for the Union.
There were several Kelley families in Adams County. Next to the family of Timothy Kelley, that of Maurice Kelley became the most noted as men of mark. Maurice Kelley came to Adams County in 1836 with his parents and settled on a farm in the southeast part of the county. Being temperate and industrious, the family prospered. Maurice was elected sheriff of Adams County in 1860, and as a member of the Legislature in 1870; in 1874 as a state senator, where he served three terms. He was collector of internal revenue at Quincy under President Cleveland. He was for ten years a supervisor of the county, as was his brother Michael from an adjoining township. Maurice Kelley is still living at Mt. Sterling, Illinois.
Many of the old pioneers moved off with the human current to California and other attractive places in the Far West. Only a few of those who remained in Quincy are still living, but many of their children are among the leading men of affairs in every branch of business as well as the professions in Quincy and its vicinity.
In many instances, whole families came together, as will be noticed in the list of names given above, as having come before 1840. The most noted of them was that of the Rev. William Best, with his five sons and a daughter Charlotte Best Finlay, who with her husband accompanied them. The Reverend Best became a prominent minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Illinois and lived to a ripe old age, to see his family all successful in worldly affairs. His youngest son Joseph served as adjutant of the Twenty-first Missouri Infantry in the Union army; the other sons being over the military age supported the cause at home. His grandsons and great grandsons are now among our best business men. A grandson, John H. Best, has served as mayor of Quincy and is now president of one of our banks, a stockholder and director in nearly every corporation doing business here; also a large land owner in Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, while his brother, Ezra Best, is president of the Best Plumbing and Steam Heating Company, one of the largest and most successful in the West. Both brothers coöperate and invest together. They are model citizens and have the respect and confidence of all our people.
The Finlay family, Rev. William B., James B., Matthew B., with their three sisters, Ann B. Padgett, Jane B. and Mary B. Finlay, became equally prominent. They came to America with the Best family in 1839, from County Cavan, Ireland. The Rev. William B. Finlay was an ardent church worker, and a school teacher in Ireland. His father, before him, was a school teacher and a member of the English church. His mother was a primitive Methodist and a member of the Bell family, hence the initial “B” was retained by the brothers and sisters. He had his religious training under such noted ministers as Rev. G. B. Moffatt, Doctor Averill and Gideon Ousley, D. D., a converted priest, who generally preached a part of his sermons in Irish. In his twentieth year, his father having died in 1829, the Rev. William Bell Finlay took charge of his father’s old parish school. In 1830 he attended the Kildare College in Dublin. He afterwards served five years as a government teacher, from which he resigned to accept charge of a school in the Parish of Tyholland, County Monaghan, where he married Charlotte Best and united with the Methodist Church. He remained at Tyholland, teaching and as an exhortor, until he started for Quincy, where he arrived June sixth, 1839, and the following Sunday united with the Methodist Church. He was licensed to exhort in September of that year, and in 1849 was ordained by Bishop Janes when the conference met at Quincy. The year before he died, he prepared a little sketch of his life work, which was found by his children after his death. The last paragraph, which we quote, shows that his was a beautiful Christian life: “So I am now in my eighty-ninth year, and an official member of the old Illinois Conference, still in the church of my childhood and of my youth, and of riper years. And now, old and grey-headed, I love the church of my choice; I love her doctrines and her ways. Though feeble in body, praise God, my mind is clear and sound as a bell. I don’t know how soon I may be permitted to leave for home, but it cannot be long. But Glory, honor, power and dominion be unto God, and the lamb, forever. Amen and Amen.” He died October fourth, 1898, at West Point, Illinois, within a few days of his ninetieth year. His four sons were all in the Union army and made excellent soldiers; William J. B. Finlay is dead; Matthew G. Finlay is a wealthy farmer; John H. Finlay is living at Warsaw, Illinois, a prominent lawyer and wealthy; Gerald H. Finlay is a retired, wealthy farmer and merchant in Quincy; all of fine reputations. His brother Matthew B. Finlay was a prosperous merchant and died wealthy, about ten years ago, leaving no children. James B. Finlay was not married. He died shortly after coming to Quincy. Ann B. Finlay married George Padgett before leaving Ireland. Her grandson, George H. Wilson, is a prominent attorney at the Quincy bar, and now a member of the State Legislature. Jane B. Finlay was married in Quincy to F. K. Carrott. Her son James Finlay Carrott, was a graduate of Harvard, and at the time of his death was an attorney for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and was succeeded by his son, Matthew Finlay Carrott, also of Harvard, who is married to a daughter of Judge Montgomery, president of the State Savings, Loan and Trust Company, one of the oldest banking institutions in Quincy, and lives in the handsome Matthew B. Finlay homestead. Her daughter, Helen Carrott Walz, had two sons, one now being dead, the other an attorney in Chicago. Mrs. Walz was at one time considered Quincy’s brightest daughter. She now resides in Chicago with her son. Mary B. Finlay married William Jones in Quincy. Three of her sons are now railroad men in the West. One of them is in charge of the telegraph system of the Santa Fé Railroad. William Finlay Morgan, a grandson of Mary B. Finlay Jones, is now located in New York City. He married the daughter and only child of Mr. Nevins, head of the American Cordage Company. Before his marriage, he was in the employ of the company, first at St. Louis and then in New York, and made good in every department entrusted to his care.
The Redmond family became quite prominent. Thomas Redmond was sixteen years of age when he came from Ireland. He first located in Vermont, where he obtained employment at whatever offered. He came to Quincy in 1837. Being young, vigorous and industrious, success attended him from the start. He soon accumulated sufficient capital as a common laborer to purchase a few horses, carts and wagons, which enabled him to accept contracts in constructing railroads, at which he made money rapidly and invested every surplus dollar in Quincy real estate. In 1848 he was elected a member of the city council; in 1860, mayor; in 1864 to a seat in the State Legislature. From 1837 until his death in 1883, he was a valuable servant of the city and state. He was one of the twenty citizens who furnished the capital from their private funds to build and equip the Quincy, Missouri and Pacific Railroad, from Quincy toward Omaha, Nebraska. Possessed of large wealth, he employed it liberally to beautify and advance the interests of the city in which it was accumulated. His son, Patrick H. Redmond, was educated at the Catholic College in Washington, D. C., and became a brilliant newspaper writer as editor of the Quincy Herald, but did not survive his father. His son, James Redmond, continued his father’s occupation as a contractor and is still in Quincy. Two of his daughters are living here. Margaret is the widow of Jacob Dick of the noted Dick Brothers Brewing Company. She is very wealthy, is a shrewd financier and is a prominent worker in the Catholic Church. She has two sons, who with their cousins manage the great brewing business established by their fathers. The daughter of Margaret Redmond Dick, Mrs. John B. Ellis, is a widow, who owns and manages the Quincy Whig and is a favorite in society. A daughter of Thomas Redmond, Catherine, is the wife of J. Frank Ricker, cashier of the Ricker National Bank, one of the strongest financial institutions in Illinois.
The Heire or Haire Brothers—spelled both ways—came to Quincy before 1840. They proved to be valuable and influential citizens as merchants and professional men. Captain Thomas J. Heire, a son of Thomas, Sr., served his country gallantly in the Union Army. He is a printer by trade and after the war published the Quincy Evening News. For a number of years he held the office of city clerk. He was popular and efficient, the soul of honor and as honest as the sun. In late years he held a position in the Treasury Department at Washington, but is now taking life easy among his relatives and the friends of his youth in Quincy.
The Long Brothers came in 1839 with the Best and Finlay families, to whom they were related. They were both contractors and farmers, settling in or near the city and becoming wealthy. Their sons are still in Quincy. They are grain buyers and large capitalists. They stand well in the community and are active members of the Methodist Church.
The McCormick Brothers came in company with the Longs and located on farms close to Quincy. A number of their collaterals are still in the city and county, all fairly prosperous and respected. James McCormick, Jr., went to California in 1848 and became very wealthy as a merchant at Redding. He died without direct heirs, a few years ago, leaving his wealth to his nephews and nieces here and at other places in the West.
Thomas Rhea came in 1839. He settled on a farm near the Longs and became wealthy. He is an admirable citizen, industrious and frugal. He has lately moved into the city to take his remnant of life easy.