This is a brief description of the history of my Hanrahan Ancestors. I will be adding more history information for all the other family names as I get time.
Other names of ancestors in my family include the Kelly family from Athenry, County Galeway Ireland, the McNamara family from Ireland, the Shinners family from County Limerick, Ireland and the Clohessy family from Ireland.
My Hanrahan family ancestors were from County Tipperary, Ireland and immigrated to Canada in the 1850's and then came to the United States. They first settled in the Kentucky area where at least one brother Patrick and one sister Hanora stayed. Three brothers Thomas Stephen, Cornelius and William all moved west to Kansas Territory in the late 1850's. They were among the the first white settlers of Irish Creek area in Marshall County. Beginning in the late 1860's the brothers began moving south to Washington Township in Jackson County when the former Indian reservation land became available to purchase. They were among the first white settlers in this area also. This area is now where the city of Delia, Kansas is located. They all stayed in this area for the rest of their days.
Below is part of an biography written after the death of Johanna Hanrahan the oldest daughter of Cornelius Hanrahan. This article describes the family leaving Ireland and coming to Kansas.
Thanks to Kate Brown for locating and sharing this information with me.
Johanna Hanrahan was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on June 8, 1857, to Cornelius Hanrahan and Mary T. Burke. Her father and her four uncles had left Ireland when the English conscripted the Irish for the Crimean War. Mr. Hanrahan declared that he would not fight under the English flag. He went to Quebec, Canada, in order to enter the Unites States, and then on to Kentucky. The American Civil War prevented the Hanrahans from staying in Kentucky.
Mr. Hanrahan accepted the government offer to immigrants to establish themselves on land to the west. Reaching Marshall County was not easy in 1859, but the family never regretted coming 10 live there. Much later, when the Indians left St. Marys, the Caucasians established themselves there. The Jesuit Mission was the only Catholic Church. Mr. Hanrahan took his family to live in this country so that his children could learn their duty to serve God and the Church. Sunday Mass and a good sermon made the family happy.
Johanna, the oldest child. did not have the time to give to studies that her younger brothers and sisters did. Her father tutored her in her early years. She preferred history and arithmetic. At age 15, a friend offered to place her with his daughter in a government school, but there she might lose the faith with the love of the world and pleasure.