My Genealogy Hound

William Ganley was a son of James Ganley, who was born in Ireland and emigrated to this country soon after his marriage, locating in New Jersey, about five miles below Trenton, on the Delaware River; afterward he moved to Philadelphia, where he died about 1833. His wife, formerly Bridget Doane, died in St. Louis from the cholera, as did also several of the children. They reared a family of eleven children, of whom William, our subject, was the seventh. The latter was born in New Jersey, March 17, 1827, and was reared in that State until about eighteen years of age, when he left home and came west, engaging in rafting lumber down the Mississippi from Minnesota to St. Louis. In this occupation he continued for eleven years, being the first man to take a raft of pine lumber from Minnesota to that city between the points mentioned, an industry that has now grown to one of considerable proportions. He then started for California, but passing through Cross County, Ark., became interested in the beauty of the country and stopped here, and has since made it his home. When first coming to this county Mr. Ganley embarked in the lumber business and afterward went to farming, in which he is still interested. He was married about 1852, to Martha Miles, a native of Alabama, who died in 1862, leaving five children, one of whom only is living, Bridget, still at home. Mr. Ganley now owns 600 acres of land, with 100 acres under cultivation, located near the Tyronza River; he has good buildings and a large orchard. He is a Catholic in religion and a Democrat in politics.