James Edward Conroy. One of the largest landowners and most successful farmers and stock raisers in Riley County is James Edward Conroy, whose entire life has been devoted to agricultural activities. Mr. Conroy is progressive and enterprising, believes in thoroughbred stock and in modern methods of farming and keeps himself well informed on these subjects and thereby prospers.
James Edward Conroy was born February 24, 1862 in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. He is a son of James and Mary (Dempsy) Conroy, both of whom were born in Queen’s County, Ireland. They came to the United States and were married in the State of New York. In 1856 they came to Pottawatomie County, Kansas, and there James Conroy developed a fine farm of 400 acres. He died there in 1902, at the age of seventy-nine years. His widow survived until 1906, passing away when aged eighty-three years. They were faithful members of the Roman Catholic Church. They reared two sons, Martin and James E.
James E. Conroy was reared in his native county and attended the public schools. Farming and stockraising have occupied his attention from early manhood until the present. He remained in Pottawatomie County until 1902, when he sold his farm there and removed to Riley County and settled on lands he had purchased in Ogden Township and here he has since resided. All told, Mr. Conroy owns 1,073 acres of land. The main tract is situated on the Golden Belt road, which is the most traveled highway between Manhattan and Junction City, and some distance in front of his handsome and attracively surrounded residence is a station on the interurban railway between the two cities. Such a favorable location has many advantages in the way of business and opportunities for a wider social life than a farm usually affords. A part of Mr. Conroy’s large acreage is ridge land which he uses for grazing purposes. He breeds thoroughbred Hereford cattle and other high grade stock. His land is in better condition and more substantially improved than any other estate in Riley County.
In 1887 Mr. Conroy was married to Miss Catherine Glenn and they have had eleven children, eight of whom survive. In church relationship the family are Roman Catholics. In addition to being a thrifty and up-to-date farmer, Mr. Conroy is an honorable and useful citizen and a highly esteemed neighbor in Ogden Township.