Clare - Madigan, Thomas March 5, 1837

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File contributed by: Susan Budensiek bryansue@comcast.net 
July 30, 2012, 10:16 am

MADIGAN, THOMAS MARCH 5, 1837

Source: Museum at Fort Wallace, Kansas
Author: Museum at Fort Wallace, Kansas

Thomas MADIGAN was born on March 5, 1837 near Kilrush in 
County Clare Ireland. He and his older sister traveled to 
the United States in 1847 and settled in Burlington, Vermont 
where he earned the amount of two dollars in the summer and 
attended school in the winter.

After living in Wisconsin and Colorado, MADIGAN served as a 
wagoner in the Union Army from 1864-65 and later settled in 
Leavenworth where he opened a grocery store. Thomas MADIGAN 
saw the westward movement of the railroad and the prosperous 
town is was leaving in its wake. He owned stores in 
Ellsworth, Hays, Phil Sheridan, and Kit Carson before 
settled in Wallace in 1870. There he opened a saloon south 
of the Union Pacific and filed a land claim 14 miles 
northwest of Wallace.

It was January of 1877 when Thomas married Mary Catherine 
SMITH in her home of Chicago, Illinois.  She came west with 
Thomas following the wedding.

The Madigan store (the original Pond Creek Station) also 
became their home and three of the four Madigan children 
were born in the upstairs living quarters. Bigger and better 
stores were to come as the tent town of Wallace began to 
grow.

However. with the closure of the fort and the division point 
move, the town of Wallace began to lose population and 
business. Thomas Madigan sold his store in 1896 to Mary's 
brother and the family moved to the ranch at that time 
consisting of about two sections of land. The family would 
continue to increase their  holding until Tom's death in 
1928;  by that time the ranch holdings were approximately 
8,000 acres and one of the largest in Western Kansas.

All four of the Madigan children Jim (1878) Kate (1880). 
Frank (1882). and Mary (Mayme, 1884), went on to receive 
higher education. Frank and Jim both graduated from St. 
Mary's College and Frank attended K-State where he studied 
Civil Engineering  Both girls graduated from Mount St. 
Mary's and Mayme went on to nurse's training in Denver.

Although the family no Longer resides in Wallace County they 
were early and enduring pioneers of this area.