William Grady

     William Grady was born on 30 January 1854 at 360 Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, Worcestershire, England.
     Part of the lore passed down from Mary O'Grady Lenski is that William was born in the same house that his mother was born in. A search of the 1841 Dudley census doesn't reveal a Scott or McGlousgy household. The "same house" birth has been reported by Barbara Dutton, Marlene Lenski and Tom Reidy. It may or may not be true. It is true that he and his mother were both born in Dudley. Mary L. also relates that William was born in London which is clearly untrue.
     Notes from Mary Jean Borozzi, daughter of Ella Grady Gallagher, in addition to the birth in England mention a conflicting birth for William in Mt. Carmel, Northumberland County, PA. This may be a clue to the where the Grady family lived prior to Ashland in 1870
Regarding the spelling of our family name which appears as Grady or O'Grady. MacLysaght's The Surnames of Ireland refers to the dropping of the O and Mac: The prefixes Mac and O were very widely dropped during the period of the submergence of Catholic and Gaelic Ireland which began in the early seventeent century, when English rule and influence in Ireland, little more than nominal prior to that outside the Pale, became really effective. The revival of national consciousness in the eighties resulting in the establishment of the Gaelic League in 1893 was reflected in the general resumption of the discarded Macs and O's.
Another citation from the same author: A feature of the degradation of the Gael and the inferiority complex it produced was the wholesale discarding of the distinctive prefixes O and Mac. Nor was this confined to the downtrodden peasantry. The few Catholic gentry who managed to maintain to some extent their social position, while keeping their O's and Macs within the ambit of their own entourage (usually in the remoter parts of the country), were so deeply conscious of belonging to a conquered nation that they frequently omitted the prefixes when dealing with Protestants, not only in legal matters but also in ordinary social intercourse. Thus we find Daniel O'Connell's uncle, that picturesque figure universally known as "Hunting Cap", signing himself Maurice Connell as late as 1803 when approaching the Knight of Kerry to enlist his influence in a court case while MacDermott, Chief of the Name, though ranking as a prince among his own people and himself a prominent banker in the middle of the eighteenth century, invariably signed himself simply Anthony Dermott.
In our own particular family, I have seen the O'Grady spelling in several baptisimal entries in Dudley. William and his father, Thomas, seemed to have been consistent with the Grady spelling. It isn't until the next generation that the use of O'Grady becomes more prevalent with several siblings. Mary Grady Lenski may have been the influence for her younger siblings. Tom Reidy, her grandson, has indicated that she "learned it from the nuns" that O'Grady was the way it used to be. Although she grew up as Mary Grady, she is buried as Mary O'Grady. Her brother Edward and and sister Catherine also added the O as did Maurice, the youngest sibling. In the 1850's and 1860's when Irish immigration was at its height in England and America, the Irish immigrant facing discrimination was not riding the wave of Irish Nationalism and not looking to promote his Irishness. Quite the contrary.^2,3,4,5 He was the son of Thomas Grady and Ann Scott McCloskey.¹
William Grady was christened on 12 February 1854 at Our Blessed Lady and St. Thomas More of Canterbury, Dudley, Worcestershire, England, Die 30 Januarii 1854 natus et 12 Februarii 1854 baptizatus fuit Gulielmus GRADY filius Thomae et Annae GRADY (olim Scott) conjugum a me Geo FOX. Misso Apco. Patrinus fuit. blank Matrinus fuit. Honour PURCELL.⁶

William was enumerated with Ann Scott McCloskey on the census of 8 April 1861 at Dudley, Worcestershire, England, as William Gready. William is 7 years old and was born in Dudley.⁷ William is listed as a 7 year old passenger on the ship Bridgewater which departed from Liverpool and arrived at the Port of New York. He is travelling with his uncle Patrick Grady.⁸

William Grady immigrated on 2 October 1862 to New York City, New York County, New York.⁸

William Grady was enumerated with Thomas Grady on the census of 1 June 1870 at Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as William Grady. William is a white male listed as 16 years of age. He was born in England and both parents were of foreign birth. William attended school within the year.⁹ William Grady lived before 27 February 1887 at Colorado. William was in Colorado sometime prior to the baptism of Elizabeth Harrigan, in which he was a sponser. It is unknown where he was in Colorado or what he was doing but more than likely he was engaged in mining. When he first came to Scammon he may have been a lodger in the house of Ellen O'Hara.¹⁰ He was the godparent at the baptism of Elizabeth Ann Harrigan on 27 February 1887 at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas.¹¹
William Grady married Barbara McCormick, daughter of Bernard McCormick and Ellen O'Hara, on 23 October 1889 at St Bridget's Catholic Church, Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, other participants were Mary Ellen McCormick.^12,13

William Grady is head of household on the census of 1 March 1895 at Mineral Twp, Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as Wm Grady. Wiliam is a 40 year old male and was born in England. He came from Colorado to Kansas. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Thomas J. Grady and Anne J. Grady.¹⁴

William Grady is head of household on the census of 1 June 1900 at Mineral Twp, Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as William Grady. William is listed as a 46 year old white male born in England. He was born Jan 1854 and is 46 years old. He has been married for 10 years and works as a coal miner. He can read and write and owns free his own home. He immigrated to the United States in 1860 and has been a resident for 40 years. Both of his parents were born in Ireland. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Thomas J. Grady, Anne J. Grady, Mary Grady and Ella Florence Grady.¹⁵
     The following appeared in the Scammon paper: Marshall Grady has had the K of P boys drilling them on the street several times the past week. They are doing very good work.¹⁶
     The following article appeared in the Scammon paper: A very unfortunate affair took place in our city Sunday afternoon which cost one man his life. John Maxwell shot and killed Owen Ferns in Harry Wilson's chilli room. The trouble had been in the air some time. Maxwell who was pit boss at the Southern Coal and Mercantile's mine known, as the 'Wild Cat' had not been in the best of humor towards a number of the boys and last Saturday night it terminated in a rough time in which he and John Stewart Jr mixed at close range. Sunday Maxwell was seen on the streets with a sore head and a black eye. Sunday afternoon between half past three and four o'clockhe entered the restaurant mentioned above. There were a ten people in the room at the time and someone began to make remarks about his personal appearance.
     Ferns who had not spoken before, but laughed at the joking spoke up and laughing remarked: 'You ought to have had the other eye blacked so as to even up the one that is black'. Maxwell apparently angered beyound his endurance, turned with an oath, pulled a revolver from his overcoat pocket and fired at Ferns. The ball struck his victim in the neck and severed the jugular vein. Ferns started to fall or run when Maxwell fired the second shot, taking effect in the back a little to the right side. Ferns staggered to the door and went to the rear of the 'Senate'. He was followed and taken in side where he died in a few minutes. Maxwell gave himself up and was taken to jail at Columbus by deputy sheriff James Dunn, Dan Miller, Marshall Grady and Bert Murphy. The murdered man was a brother to James Q. Ferns and was a single man about 24 years of age. The remains were buried at the St. Bridget's cemetary Tuesday afternoon. The coroner's jury met at the City Hall Wednesday afternoon and examined a number of witnesses and returned a verdict to the effect that Owen Ferns came to his death by gun in the hands of one John Maxwell
     Owen Ferns is a brother to James "Rube" Ferns and John Stewart is Angelo McCormick's brother in law.¹⁷

William is head of household on the census of 1 March 1905 at Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as William Grady. He is a 51 year old male born in England/ He came from England to Kansas and is the City Marshall. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Anne J. Grady, Mary Grady, Ella Florence Grady, William L. Grady, Cecelia Grady and Thomas J. Grady.¹⁸
     An article dated 12 Apr 1907 from the Scammon paper: We think Wm. Grady is one of the best officers Scammon ever had. He is worthy of re-appointment.¹⁹
And the following dated 19 Jul 1907: We are informed by Marshall Grady that many owners of the canine species have paid their tax while others have neglected doing so. If you own one of these beast over three months old, better see Grady, and pay your tax and save lots of trouble. Mr. Grady, says, 'All dogs three mos. and over must be tagged, or they will be shot.' This may be how William earned the title of "just a glorified dog-catcher" from one of his sons.²⁰
Certainly dog control was one of Marshall Grady's concerns but indications are that he was up to abit more than meets the eye. We know that he was involved in transporting John Maxwell to Columbus after the shooting death of Owen Ferns. According to a letter posted to the Scammon Miner by his nephew, Thomas Brady, he was accepting monies and allowing gambling in the taverns. By the very nature of Scammon society we know that there was a fair share of lawlessness within the the city boundaries and Marshall Grady was one of the few peacekeepers during Scammon's heyday. The following account and snippets taken from Kansas Bootleggers may give us an appreciation of the balancing act required of a peacekeeper. Corona Red was a liquor known from coast to coast. Only a few miles from Scammon, it was a thriving Italian community at the turn of the century. Today, all the little bungalows are gone and the only building left is the Gay Parita, a dance hall. However, Balkans society is celebrtated today, especially in Pittsburg.

Governor Walter R. Stubbs (1909-1913) complained bitterly about fractious Crawford and Cherokee Counties. Dubbed the "Balkans" as an epithet, his terminology for the two deepest southeast Kansas counties was extremely accurate. The southeast corner has been only tenuously affiliated with the rest of the state. An extension of the Ozark complex, the uneven Balkan terrain, with dense vegetation, contrast sharply with the gradual tilt of the high plains in western and the wide slopes in middle Kansas. Coal, lead, and zinc, below the fragmented landscape, brought strikes, booms, and finally a mining and industrial economy in the late nineteenth century.
Balkans society, therefore, was the consequence of geological phenomena that occurred before dinosaurs lumbered across the state. It varied significantly from the rest of Kansas and had a well-deserved reputation for incorrigible "wetness." A realist with a sense of humor noted that Kansas would be dry as long as voters could stagger to the polls, and the Balkans would easily qualify for the highest such incidence. Although many of the common notions about Kansas as a dry state are accurate, the experience of the Balkans contradicts nearly everyone. The area and its people diverge so far from the rest of the state, in fact, that they are entitled to a study of their own.
The explnations of the "sopping wetness" of the southeast corner are no secret. A flourishing mining economy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries enticed immigrant groups there, enequalled anywhere in Kansas and perhps in the entire country. Fifty-three languages were once often spoken in the mining camps, dance halls, and churces. These immigrants often differed radically in folkways and religion from the old American stock who were largely responsible for prohibition. Prohibition sharpened the friction between the immigrants and Kansas drys and, on occasion, led to virtual war. Legal and moral strictures against the manufacture and consumption of intoxicating beverages rested lightly with the immigrants, who were principally the reason the history of the Balkans is a wet one.
The immigrants didn't share the well known Kansas traits of abstemiousness and regard for the law. With widespread lawlessness and vice, the southeast corner was once reputed to be the most violent spot in America. When Kansas nrrowly adopted legal probibition in 1880, the Balkans tradition virtually ensured that the law would be ignored. Open saloons ran illegally and generally with public approbation until well into the twentieth century......
An ironic consequence of national prohibition was to promote bootlegging in Kansas, especially in Crawford and Cherokee Counties. Manuafacture of "Deep Shaft," an apt generic name applied to all liquors made there, was a principal occupation and staple of the Balkans economy. The reputation of Deep Shaft transcended Kansas, and it was distributed, sold, and consumed thoughout the nation. It was sought and endorsed by discrimination drinkers, including Harry S. Truman.....Massive and unconcealed bootlegging was common in spots like Camp 42, Roseland, Carona, and Frontenac.....Carona wasn't dry even bdfore it acquired bootlegging prominence. A young girl recalled, "My folks lived next to the saloon, and my Dad and uncles were steady drinkers. They's work down in the shaft all week and get drunk on the weekend-or a bunch of their countrymen would...bug a keg of beer and have a hell of a good time."...She witnessed changes in Carona when Italians became dominant: "Bungalows sprang up in Little Italy, they bought cars, had big weddings," and "danced the Taratella." Carona had become a whiskey-bootlegging town. "Lots of Italians were bootleggers," and they also had the largest operations....Although many Carona bootleggers were neither particularly disruptive nor pernicious, a core was described as the most aggressive, volatile, and danderous in the Balkans. With an affinity for fighting, gambling, and new cars, a faction of Carona bootleggers also purportedly had stong syndicate ties, which added to their reputation as extemely dangerous....Person conducted their illegal business normally nd in full public view, and incalcuable still operations emitted a heavy mash aroma that hung in the air. Trucks loaded with sugar and dsstined for the grocery sped through the settlement. East of the now decaying Gay Parita was a warehouse with volumious stores of Deep Shaft.²¹

William Grady is head of household on the census of 15 April 1910 at Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as William Grady. William is listed as a white male 56 years of age. He was born in England and has been married for 20 years. His father was born in Ireland and his mother was born in England.. He immigrated to the United States in 1860 and works as a coal miner. He can read and write and owns his home free of mortgage. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Thomas J. Grady, Anne J. Grady, Mary Grady, Ella Florence Grady, William L. Grady, Cecelia Grady, Edward Grady and Catherine Grace Grady.²²

William Grady is head of household on the census of 1 March 1915 at Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as William Grady. He is listed as 61 years old and was born in England. He works as a coal miner. He own his own home free of mortgage. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Thomas J. Grady, Anne J. Grady, Mary Grady, Ella Florence Grady, William L. Grady, Cecelia Grady, Edward Grady, Catherine Grace Grady, Joseph Leo Grady and Maurice James O'Grady Sr.^23,24

William Grady is head of household on the census of 6 February 1920 at Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas, as William Grady. William is a white male age 66 who owns his home free of mortgage. He immigrated to the United States in 1860 and is a Naturalized citizen. He was born in England and his father and mother were born in Ireland. He can read and write and works as a coal miner. Enumerated with him were Barbara McCormick, Ella Florence Grady, Cecelia Grady, Edward Grady, Catherine Grace Grady, Joseph Leo Grady and Maurice James O'Grady Sr.²⁵

William Grady was widowed at age 71 by the death of Barbara McCormick on 5 May 1925 in Scammon, Cherokee County, Kansas.

William was enumerated with William Edward Gallagher Sr on the census of 8 April 1930 at Ruth, White Pine County, Nevada, as Wm Grady. He is a white male 76 years od and was 21 when he was first married. He was born in Kansas and both of his parents were born in Pennsylvnaia. He is retired.²⁶

William Grady died on 9 June 1930 at Ely, White Pine County, Nevada, at age 76.²⁷

William Grady was buried on 11 June 1930 at Ely, White Pine County, Nevada.²⁸