The following story was given to me. It traces the family leaving Ireland in 1860. They moved to LaSalle, IL and later to Kansas. Bartholomew was born about 1811 the son Of Timothy Sullivan adn Mary Williams. He married Johanna Condon in 1843 in Kilbehenny Co. Limerick. They had nine children:
Timothy, William, Mary, John, John L, Margaret Michael B., Timothy & Richard.
Bartholomew Sullivan died in Ottawa Co. Kansas in 1881 and is buried inthe Mount Calvary Cemetery, Solomon, Saline County, Kansas
"We left County Limerick two miles north of Mitchelstown in the year of 1860 for the United States and we landed and settled in LaSalle IL. We lived here about 6 years and then started out again, this time coming west from LaSalle to St. Louis by water on Illinois rise and from there to Leavenworth over the Missouri River and from Leavenworth to Solomon by covered wagon, which took us about one month to make the trip from Illinois.
In party there was seven of us. Grandfather, Grandmother Williams, John, Margaret, Mike and Timothy. My son Richard was born in IL.
But we saw no hardships for want of anything which we could get, as we had money enough to make trip in first shape, and was able to work when we landed here. We encountered no trouble with the Indians which roamed the country quite frequently those days. Our only enemy were the mosquitoes. We never suffered for want of water, but several people did.
We all had the ague the first year we were out here.
We past the Union Pacific Railroad two miles east of St. Mary’s at Pawnee Creek in 1866 and it got as far as Solomon in the fall and then in the Spring of 1876 it got into Salina and they they moved headquarters to Ellsworth.
After that I can’t account for it. Only I can say that they drove the Golden spike into Utah in 1869, when two engines were placed bill to bill and they exchanged bottles and drove the Golden Spike.
We had a good living at home as we raised wheat the first year, and had it to sell the second year.
We raised some potatoes the first year on Aunt Riordan’s place. We landed in Solomon we went up the river to place they called Verdi, in Ottawa County, and I homesteaded a farm of one-quarter section and built a rock house on it with help of my oldest son, William. I was a stone mason by trade, my son William became very good at that work. He was young when he did this work.
We quarried all rock used from Donmyer’s hill just southwest of us short ways, it was called surface rock.
Grandfather died 25th of Jan 1881 and Grandmother died just six weeks later.
Grandpa Sullivan’s grandmother’s name was Williams and she was born in Wales and the Williams were all great lovers of education, and up to date classical men in those days.
On my wife’s side her name was Condon, and my son William was born in same house in (Kilbeheny) Co. Limerick, Ireland that his mother was born in. Her Father’s people lived and owned it for generations. In time of famine in Ireland they lost some of their possessions which was taken away by the neighbors who encroached on his rights. My. wife's’ Father, Mr. Condon died young, and my wife was oldest child and we were married and I was father to them all. I made a carpenter out of one of the boys and a tailor of another and both were good at their work. Uncle Bill Condon was a very fine tailor, had no education but was noted for his ability for well fitted suits."
BarbaraScanlon
Tuesday 12th Mar 2013, 06:07PMMessage Board Replies
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Hi Barbera
What a wonderful story and so well told. Have a look on http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/ which was the first full scale valuation of all property in Ireland between 1847 and 1864. You should be able to find record of Bartholomew and family. Also the http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp which is a good source of Genealogical research for the pre familne period. I will send your message on to the local community group in Kilbehenny who may have more information for you.
Regards
Doreen
Doreen McElligott Egan
Wednesday 13th Mar 2013, 11:05AM -
Thank you so much. My husband is a direct descandant of Margaret Sullivan a sister. I have been in contact with Laura Phelan in Galway. She has a photo of the headstone for Bartholomew. I have been having trouble uploading photos. So when they get a "bug" fixed look for a great headstone photo! If anyone is interested I do have part of the family history on this family.
BarbaraScanlon
Wednesday 13th Mar 2013, 01:45PM -
Excellant story, the gang in kilbehenny will be really interested in this!
Amanda Slattery
Thursday 14th Mar 2013, 03:56PM -
Hello Barbara,
I thought I had replied to this last night, but it seems to have either got lost or failed to post in some way. I had a link to historicgraves.ie for Kilbeheny graveyard showing a Williams headstone from 1810. The lost post may turn up: if not I will look it up again.
The Sullivan, Condon and Williams families are still strong families around the Kilbehenny area. I will be meeting one of them, Liam, fairly soon and will ask him who would know the family lines.
The story itself is fascinating. The writer of the account seems to have been a capable person and does not dwell on hardship.
Do you know how they arrived in the United states, was it through New York or Montreal?
As the account mentions, the railways were being built west during that period, so a capable person would be in demand in the head office.
Its interesting to look at how people from the foot of the Galtee mountains here became part of other societies.
Are there any connections left in Solomon, or where did the families move from there?
Conor
Conor O'Brien
Friday 15th Mar 2013, 11:31AM -
Conor,
I have information several of the Sullivan children. My husband would be a descendant of Margaret Sullivan.
The parents were Timothy Sullivan and Mary Williams.
Maraget Sullivan born 1806 and married John Riordan 7 Feb 1827 in Mitchelstown, Ireland. Margaret died in 1879 in Solomon, Kansas. Margaret and John had 7 children. (My husband is a descendant of Patrick Riordan)
John Sullivan born 1808 and married Mary Kelly 1845 in Ireland. I know of 1 child with his first wife and one child with his second wife Mary Finnan. John died in 1874 in Saline County, Kansas.
Bartholomew Sullivan born 1811 married Johanna Condon and they had 9 children. He died in 1881 in Ottawa, Kansas.
Elizabeth Sullivan born 1819 married John Fitzgerald (from County Cork) in county Cork. They had 4 children, only one married and had children. Elizabeth died in 1867 in Solomon Kansas.
Mary Sullivan - I have that she was born in Ireland and died in New York.
Nora Sullivan - born in Ireland married Thomas O'Brien - had 3 sons and died in New York.
Michael Sullivan born in Ireland and died in 1896 in La Salle IL.
My mother-in-law gave me three essays written for the Bishop Thill Essay Contest in 1939. They are about the Riordan/Sullivan family.
This would be Margaret Sullivan Riordan.
“Mrs. Margaret Riordan was born in 1806 and raised in Ireland. After emigrating from Sook, Ireland. Mrs and Mrs. Riordan settled down in LaSalle, IL.
When Mr. Riordan diedin La Salle, Mrs. Riordan decided to take her family and went to seek a home and land. Their ultimate dietination was California.
It was in the spring of 1860 that Mrs. Riordan and her five sons, John, Timothy Dennis, Patrick, and Thomas, and one daughter Mary set out for California. They had one wagon drawn by a tearm of horses and another wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. All their possessions were tied to the side of the wagon.
Late one afternoon the Riordans crossed Buckeye Creeek about two and one-half miles northwest of Solomon city. So inviting were the surrounding they decided to camp for the night. Mrs. Riordan was ill and rested there for a few days. They decided to stay so they all secured claims for land.
The Riordans were among the very early settlers in the Solomon area and were devout Catholics.
Among the many settlers coming to setle near the Riordans were near relatives of the Riordan family, the married daughter Mrs. Barrett with her husband and children, also Mrs. Riordan’s two brothers, Bartholomew and John Sullivan and her sister Mrs. Fitzgerald withtheir families.
After the death of her daughter Mrs. Barrett in 1866, Mrs. Riordan took her four grandchildren to raise and began anew the rearing of a second family.
It was in Mrs. Riordan’s humble log cabin, after a brief illness, that she died on January 6 1879. She was 73 years old. Her body was buried in the Catholic Cemetery north of Solomon.”
I am trying to attach a photo of Thomas & John Riordan. They are two of Margaret Sullivan Riordan's sons.
BarbaraScanlon
Friday 15th Mar 2013, 02:27PM