Joseph Riley was born on 24 June 1835 in Cahersiveen, Kerry County, Ireland. There is some question about the year of his birth date. His tombstone says that it is 1835, and his death record has the same year (this would be expected since they probably came from the same source). Census records vary: the 1900 census says June 1837, the 1910 census says about 1839, and the 1880 census says about 1840. Census records are approximations and are based on some statements made by whoever completed the census survey; therefore they are indicators but not official dates. There is also a story in an application for a Civil War widow's pension filed by his wife in 1930; the story was supposedly written by John Joseph Riley about his military service, and it says that he was born on 20 June 1837, and the 1900 census is specific about the birth as June 1837. Since his tombstone and death record say 1835, this is the date that is put into the genealogy documentation on Ancestry.com. However, it is obvious that an alternate date of 1837 must be documented and considered.
John Joseph Riley immigrated to the United States in the mid-1840's, during the Potato Famine in Ireland. Records of the immigrations have not been found, but it is assumed that he came with his family as a result of the severe conditions that were going on in Ireland. It is thought that the family came to Massachusetts and settled there; John did have a nephew that was born in 1858 in Massachusetts either living or visiting him in the 1880 census in Karnes County, Texas.
It is known that John Joseph Riley settled in Texas, but the exact time is not known. It is known that he enlisted in the Confederate Army in April 1861 in San Antonio, Texas. It is also known that he came to Karnes County in approximately June of 1865 after service in the Confederate Army.
There are family stories that indicated that he joined the Texas Rangers. In the Saint Anthony's Catholic Church history booklet, it says that he joined Company "A" of the Frontier Forces at Fort Mason, Texas in 1870. The Frontier Forces was one of the names given to the law enforcement agencies in Texas. The series of agencies are what eventually led to what is currently called the Texas Rangers. Enlistment records from the Texas Rangers for John Riley's service in the Law Enforcement agencies did verify that he enlisted into the Frontier Forces on 6 October 1870 at Fort Mason, Texas and that this was one of the agencies of what is currently known as the Texas Rangers. The records also indicate that he was honorably discharged in November 1870, so this service was for a short period of time.
In Texas, John Joseph Riley worked splitting rails for 50 cents a day. He probably worked in several other jobs; indications are that he was a hard working and driven individual. Somehow, he accumulated enough money and was involved in some land grants , and he acquired many acres of land in the area of what is currently Runge, Texas (about 65 miles southeast of San Antonio). John Joseph Riley started out raising sheep on the land, but eventually switched to raising cattle. There were two other key families that also settled in the area; the Joshua Butler family and the P. P. (Preston) Short family. Joshua Butler was the first to arrive. These families settled in an area near Cabeza Creek (the area is in what is currently DeWitt county and part in Karnes county), and eventually formed the community of Cabeza, Texas. The community was small and included a school that many Riley and other family members attended into the 1940's or 1950's. The community eventually disappeared but there is a historical marker at the site.
After he had been in Texas for some period, John Joseph Riley married a young lady with Irish ancestry whose name was Margaret (Maggie) Ellen McNamara. They were married on 15 January 1876 in San Antonio, Texas. John was approximately 40 (or 38, dependent on actual date of birth) years old and Margaret was only 14 years old at the time of their marriage. After the marriage of John and Margaret, they made their home on the Riley land, and this is where they started their family. According to the 1900 census, they had a total of 8 children with 6 living. There are 2 family Affidavits that state that they had 7 children, and no record of an 8th child could be found. A check of the Panna Maria cemetery showed a grave marker for Mary Elizabeth Riley. The marker was two-sided and the other side was for James Riley; he was born in 1886 and lived for only one week. So, this was the missing child from family records and verifies the information in the 1900 census that they had 8 children.
John Joseph Margaret Ellen Riley raised a family around the Riley ranch/farm and he became very successful in his business dealings. He died on his ranch on 1 November 1917 and is buried in the Runge Catholic Cemetery.
John Joseph Riley immigrated to the United States in the mid-1840's, during the Potato Famine in Ireland. Records of the immigrations have not been found, but it is assumed that he came with his family as a result of the severe conditions that were going on in Ireland. It is thought that the family came to Massachusetts and settled there; John did have a nephew that was born in 1858 in Massachusetts either living or visiting him in the 1880 census in Karnes County, Texas.
It is known that John Joseph Riley settled in Texas, but the exact time is not known. It is known that he enlisted in the Confederate Army in April 1861 in San Antonio, Texas. It is also known that he came to Karnes County in approximately June of 1865 after service in the Confederate Army.
There are family stories that indicated that he joined the Texas Rangers. In the Saint Anthony's Catholic Church history booklet, it says that he joined Company "A" of the Frontier Forces at Fort Mason, Texas in 1870. The Frontier Forces was one of the names given to the law enforcement agencies in Texas. The series of agencies are what eventually led to what is currently called the Texas Rangers. Enlistment records from the Texas Rangers for John Riley's service in the Law Enforcement agencies did verify that he enlisted into the Frontier Forces on 6 October 1870 at Fort Mason, Texas and that this was one of the agencies of what is currently known as the Texas Rangers. The records also indicate that he was honorably discharged in November 1870, so this service was for a short period of time.
In Texas, John Joseph Riley worked splitting rails for 50 cents a day. He probably worked in several other jobs; indications are that he was a hard working and driven individual. Somehow, he accumulated enough money and was involved in some land grants , and he acquired many acres of land in the area of what is currently Runge, Texas (about 65 miles southeast of San Antonio). John Joseph Riley started out raising sheep on the land, but eventually switched to raising cattle. There were two other key families that also settled in the area; the Joshua Butler family and the P. P. (Preston) Short family. Joshua Butler was the first to arrive. These families settled in an area near Cabeza Creek (the area is in what is currently DeWitt county and part in Karnes county), and eventually formed the community of Cabeza, Texas. The community was small and included a school that many Riley and other family members attended into the 1940's or 1950's. The community eventually disappeared but there is a historical marker at the site.
After he had been in Texas for some period, John Joseph Riley married a young lady with Irish ancestry whose name was Margaret (Maggie) Ellen McNamara. They were married on 15 January 1876 in San Antonio, Texas. John was approximately 40 (or 38, dependent on actual date of birth) years old and Margaret was only 14 years old at the time of their marriage. After the marriage of John and Margaret, they made their home on the Riley land, and this is where they started their family. According to the 1900 census, they had a total of 8 children with 6 living. There are 2 family Affidavits that state that they had 7 children, and no record of an 8th child could be found. A check of the Panna Maria cemetery showed a grave marker for Mary Elizabeth Riley. The marker was two-sided and the other side was for James Riley; he was born in 1886 and lived for only one week. So, this was the missing child from family records and verifies the information in the 1900 census that they had 8 children.
John Joseph Margaret Ellen Riley raised a family around the Riley ranch/farm and he became very successful in his business dealings. He died on his ranch on 1 November 1917 and is buried in the Runge Catholic Cemetery.
Joseph Riley was born on 24 June 1835 in Cahersiveen, Kerry County, Ireland. There is some question about the year of his birth date. His tombstone says that it is 1835, and his death record has the same year (this would be expected since they probably came from the same source). Census records vary: the 1900 census says June 1837, the 1910 census says about 1839, and the 1880 census says about 1840. Census records are approximations and are based on some statements made by whoever completed the census survey; therefore they are indicators but not official dates. There is also a story in an application for a Civil War widow's pension filed by his wife in 1930; the story was supposedly written by John Joseph Riley about his military service, and it says that he was born on 20 June 1837, and the 1900 census is specific about the birth as June 1837. Since his tombstone and death record say 1835, this is the date that is put into the genealogy documentation on Ancestry.com. However, it is obvious that an alternate date of 1837 must be documented and considered.
John Joseph Riley immigrated to the United States in the mid-1840's, during the Potato Famine in Ireland. Records of the immigrations have not been found, but it is assumed that he came with his family as a result of the severe conditions that were going on in Ireland. It is thought that the family came to Massachusetts and settled there; John did have a nephew that was born in 1858 in Massachusetts either living or visiting him in the 1880 census in Karnes County, Texas.
It is known that John Joseph Riley settled in Texas, but the exact time is not known. It is known that he enlisted in the Confederate Army in April 1861 in San Antonio, Texas. It is also known that he came to Karnes County in approximately June of 1865 after service in the Confederate Army.
There are family stories that indicated that he joined the Texas Rangers. In the Saint Anthony's Catholic Church history booklet, it says that he joined Company "A" of the Frontier Forces at Fort Mason, Texas in 1870. The Frontier Forces was one of the names given to the law enforcement agencies in Texas. The series of agencies are what eventually led to what is currently called the Texas Rangers. Enlistment records from the Texas Rangers for John Riley's service in the Law Enforcement agencies did verify that he enlisted into the Frontier Forces on 6 October 1870 at Fort Mason, Texas and that this was one of the agencies of what is currently known as the Texas Rangers. The records also indicate that he was honorably discharged in November 1870, so this service was for a short period of time.
In Texas, John Joseph Riley worked splitting rails for 50 cents a day. He probably worked in several other jobs; indications are that he was a hard working and driven individual. Somehow, he accumulated enough money and was involved in some land grants , and he acquired many acres of land in the area of what is currently Runge, Texas (about 65 miles southeast of San Antonio). John Joseph Riley started out raising sheep on the land, but eventually switched to raising cattle. There were two other key families that also settled in the area; the Joshua Butler family and the P. P. (Preston) Short family. Joshua Butler was the first to arrive. These families settled in an area near Cabeza Creek (the area is in what is currently DeWitt county and part in Karnes county), and eventually formed the community of Cabeza, Texas. The community was small and included a school that many Riley and other family members attended into the 1940's or 1950's. The community eventually disappeared but there is a historical marker at the site.
After he had been in Texas for some period, John Joseph Riley married a young lady with Irish ancestry whose name was Margaret (Maggie) Ellen McNamara. They were married on 15 January 1876 in San Antonio, Texas. John was approximately 40 (or 38, dependent on actual date of birth) years old and Margaret was only 14 years old at the time of their marriage. After the marriage of John and Margaret, they made their home on the Riley land, and this is where they started their family. According to the 1900 census, they had a total of 8 children with 6 living. There are 2 family Affidavits that state that they had 7 children, and no record of an 8th child could be found. A check of the Panna Maria cemetery showed a grave marker for Mary Elizabeth Riley. The marker was two-sided and the other side was for James Riley; he was born in 1886 and lived for only one week. So, this was the missing child from family records and verifies the information in the 1900 census that they had 8 children.
John Joseph Margaret Ellen Riley raised a family around the Riley ranch/farm and he became very successful in his business dealings. He died on his ranch on 1 November 1917 and is buried in the Runge Catholic Cemetery.
John Joseph Riley immigrated to the United States in the mid-1840's, during the Potato Famine in Ireland. Records of the immigrations have not been found, but it is assumed that he came with his family as a result of the severe conditions that were going on in Ireland. It is thought that the family came to Massachusetts and settled there; John did have a nephew that was born in 1858 in Massachusetts either living or visiting him in the 1880 census in Karnes County, Texas.
It is known that John Joseph Riley settled in Texas, but the exact time is not known. It is known that he enlisted in the Confederate Army in April 1861 in San Antonio, Texas. It is also known that he came to Karnes County in approximately June of 1865 after service in the Confederate Army.
There are family stories that indicated that he joined the Texas Rangers. In the Saint Anthony's Catholic Church history booklet, it says that he joined Company "A" of the Frontier Forces at Fort Mason, Texas in 1870. The Frontier Forces was one of the names given to the law enforcement agencies in Texas. The series of agencies are what eventually led to what is currently called the Texas Rangers. Enlistment records from the Texas Rangers for John Riley's service in the Law Enforcement agencies did verify that he enlisted into the Frontier Forces on 6 October 1870 at Fort Mason, Texas and that this was one of the agencies of what is currently known as the Texas Rangers. The records also indicate that he was honorably discharged in November 1870, so this service was for a short period of time.
In Texas, John Joseph Riley worked splitting rails for 50 cents a day. He probably worked in several other jobs; indications are that he was a hard working and driven individual. Somehow, he accumulated enough money and was involved in some land grants , and he acquired many acres of land in the area of what is currently Runge, Texas (about 65 miles southeast of San Antonio). John Joseph Riley started out raising sheep on the land, but eventually switched to raising cattle. There were two other key families that also settled in the area; the Joshua Butler family and the P. P. (Preston) Short family. Joshua Butler was the first to arrive. These families settled in an area near Cabeza Creek (the area is in what is currently DeWitt county and part in Karnes county), and eventually formed the community of Cabeza, Texas. The community was small and included a school that many Riley and other family members attended into the 1940's or 1950's. The community eventually disappeared but there is a historical marker at the site.
After he had been in Texas for some period, John Joseph Riley married a young lady with Irish ancestry whose name was Margaret (Maggie) Ellen McNamara. They were married on 15 January 1876 in San Antonio, Texas. John was approximately 40 (or 38, dependent on actual date of birth) years old and Margaret was only 14 years old at the time of their marriage. After the marriage of John and Margaret, they made their home on the Riley land, and this is where they started their family. According to the 1900 census, they had a total of 8 children with 6 living. There are 2 family Affidavits that state that they had 7 children, and no record of an 8th child could be found. A check of the Panna Maria cemetery showed a grave marker for Mary Elizabeth Riley. The marker was two-sided and the other side was for James Riley; he was born in 1886 and lived for only one week. So, this was the missing child from family records and verifies the information in the 1900 census that they had 8 children.
John Joseph Margaret Ellen Riley raised a family around the Riley ranch/farm and he became very successful in his business dealings. He died on his ranch on 1 November 1917 and is buried in the Runge Catholic Cemetery.
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