The Conarty Family

In November 1874 John, Pat and Ed Conarty and John E. King came to Norton county and settled on Cactus and Buck creeks in the south east part of the county.

Their father, Edward Conarty, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, November 10th, 1808.  Was married there to Susan King in 1847; came to the United States in March 1856.  Eight children were born to them, two of them, Pat and John were born in Ireland, the other six were born in this country.  He came to Norton county in May 1883 and died in Norton November 5, 1893.  His widow lives here still.

Patrick II was born September 12, 1841; was married Feb. 16, 1868 to Mary Walters.  They have eight children.  Pat volunteered September 21, 1861 in the U.S. Army, served in John M. Glover's 3 Missouri cavalry; was in the battle of Chillicothe, was in the entire Missouri campaign; has always been a republican, was a candidate for sheriff in 1883, but was defeated by Lisbon Sheley in the convention; was under sheriff from 1878 to 1880.  He moved to Norton in 1877, had been constable of Center township for two years; was trustee of Grant township for six years and says he is a wheel horse in Grant township yet.

Jack Conarty was born June 2, 1844; was married to Anna Attebury February 2, 1878; they have had five children, four of them still living, three girls and one boy whose name is Pat.

Jack volunteered in company K 30 Wisconsin, mustered out in 1866; was elected sheriff on Leota ticket in 1877; defeating Charles W. Posson by one vote.  He was defeated for the nomination in 1879 in the Republican convention by Jim Vining but was an independent candidate at the polls but failed to get votes enough.

During Jack's term as sheriff he arrested the men charged with the murder of John Landis by his zeal and fearlessness in connection with the arrest of Dr. Cummings and others.  At that time he incurred the displeasure of the Leota partisans which probably cost him a re-election as sheriff.  He joined the populist party in 1890, was a candidate for sheriff on that ticket in 1893, but was defeated by Wm. Burnham.  He resides on Cactus Creek at this time on the old Tom Attebury farm.

Ed Conarty came here with Pat and Jack; was married to Elizabeth Slater in 1878; they have nine children: left here in 1889.  He now resides in Union, Oregon.

Joseph Conarty came here in 1884; was married to Miss McFarland in 1886; they now live in Sand Creek township; have three children.

Maria Conarty was born in July 1860; she married Charles Moore and now lives in Cheyenne county.

Thomas Francis Conarty was born in 1862 and lives in the eastern part of the county.

Mr. Conarty's other two children, Mary and Felix, died in infancy.

"The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas" by F. M. Lockard, 1894, p. 91-92
 

Phillips County Marriages
Conarty, Charles                    Taylor, May               3 Mar 1877          Book A, Page 62, Certificate #123
Conarty, Edward                    Brower, Annie          20 May 1877        Book A, Page 67, Certificate #133

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