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Tombstone Photographs (Family)
Owen Smith,
son of Catherine Greenan Smyth Rooney, inscription: shows he was born in
Agabog, Monoghan (specific location is Agabog is unreadable).
Click to Enlarge.
Catherine Greenan Smyth
Rooney, mother to Irish John Smith. Inscription: 85 years of
age. We also know it states that she was born in Ireland (but
photo is unreadable).
Click to Enlarge.
William Rooney |
While we're not certain
when our family left Brooklyn, the earliest reference indicates it was
sometime around 1858 (as this land deed shows). Quite likely it
was late 1857 as it suggests she was already living in the area.
Click to Enlarge
Top: Gateway
to St. Mary's Cemetery in Keyesville.
Click to Enlarge.
Left: Families moved
together as they made their way to the western frontier. This is
one of our relative's grave markers.
Click to Enlarge.
Bottom Left: Grave of William Rooney, husband of
Catherine Greenan Smyth Rooney. William Rooney and John Smith also
enlisted in the Wisconsin 29th during the Civil War.
Click to Enlarge. |
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm The Smiths and Rooneys lived in
Bear Creek which was an area that was both in Sauk and Richland
Counties. While the family lived in Sauk County, the church they
attended was just across the county line in Richland County
(Keyesville).
Some interesting historical notes:
- Catherine's land grant was in Willow township,
Richland County. One of her original neighbors was John Smith,
of which was noted (he may have been related to our family):
John Smith, an Irishman, came here as early as 1853, and settled on
the west half of the northwest quarter of section 18. He erected a
board shanty, broke a few acres of the land and remained four or
five years, when he sold to John Young and left the country.
-
In
the fall of 1852 James King came here from Watertown, and entered
the north half of the southeast quarter and the south half of the
northeast quarter of section 5. He erected a log house which was
soon afterward destroyed by fire and he at once erected another. In
1857 he sold out and removed to Trempeleau county, and later went to
Minnesota.
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The times were relatively
prosperous after 1857 for these pioneers, but for those who came
during 1856 & 1857, it was a difficult time: "But woe! woe! to
the poor devil who came here in the fall of 1856, and especially if
he had a family and was obliged to pass through that terrible winter
with its rains and snows, when the mercury congealed at times with
the intense cold, and the four feet of snow had its four crusts of
ice. There was hardship, suffering and privation that winter among
the poor, and few were wealthy here in those times. This winter was
the collapse of the land speculation, after which many men from the
burden of their taxes were actually land poor. Added to this there
was the financial crisis of 1857, that sent the wild cat banks into
space and dissolved much of our currency into thin air". (A. L.
Hatch, early pioneer)
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We know that John Smith & Susan
McPhillips were married in this church as the records provided by
the national archives (Civil War Records) depicts this.
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St. Mary's Historical Synopsis
- The first
mass in the town of Ithaca was held by Father Max Gardner, at the
house of William Misslich, in November, 1856, and this finally
resulted in the organization of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Father
Gardner was at that time a resident of Sauk county, and knowing
there were people here in the wilderness without a spiritual
advisor, he started out on foot and alone for this little German
settlement. He was gladly welcomed and the people gathered at the
house of William Misslich.
- In 1864 a
parsonage was built. It was an unpretentious frame building, with
two rooms, and cost $337, beside the work done by the members.
Father Bernard was succeeded on Christmas, 1865, by Father
Theopholis Bean, who had charge until May, 1872. In 1869, through
his influence, a commodious stone house was erected for school
purposes and as a home for the sisters in charge. It is a two and a
half story building, well furnished. There are two large rooms on
the ground floor, which are used for school purposes, while the
sisters occupy the upper part.
- The
parsonage, as stated, when first built contained two rooms. A few
years later an addition of two rooms was made. In 1883 Father Koenig
erected a commodious two story frame house, adjoining the old part.
To show how the Catholic Church has prospered, it is stated that
Father Bean had charge of seven different Churches, beside several
appointments at private houses. Two of these Churches were in Sauk
county, one in Crawford, and the rest in Richland. St. Mary's Church
started with eight families; it now numbers eighty-five families,
and owns property valued at $15,000. Father Koenig also has charge
of the Church at Richland Center, being assisted in his labors by
Father Joseph Bush.
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