The Kansas X-Ray, Thursday, April 13, 1911, Pg. 1

Volume XIV

Death of New Albany’s

Most Prominent Citizen

A Good Man Gone.

Robert Mooney, New Albany’s pioneer and part founder, was a native of Hamilton-co., Indiana, being born February 16, 1842, and calmly entered his last sleep, Wednesday evening, March 29, 1911.

His family moved to Tipton-co., Indiana, where he was reared and where at the age of 19 he enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Indiana Infantry, his regiment later becoming the Eighth Indiana Cavalry. He was sergeant of Co. G and participated in the various movements of his regiment until the battle of Stone River, when with he and several comrades were made prisoners of war. Upon his release by exchange he returned to his regiment, and at the expiration of his enlistment received an honorable discharge in September 1864. He returned to Tipton and was in business for a short time, but soon migrated to Coffey-co., Kansas, where an old friend, Wm. Hall had preceded him.

They journeyed southward and selected a site for a store in the Indian’s reservation, where New Albany is now located, Mrs. Hall naming the new trading point in honor of the city in southern Indiana. They began business in August 1865, for a time the Indians being their patrons.

Mr. Mooney entered the claim on which the present townsite was later plotted. On March 8, 1866, he was married to Nancy E. Bethard of Coffey-co. To this union were born six children, the faithful wife and mother and three devoted children with ten interesting grandchildren surviving the deceased. The oldest daughter, Dora, was the first white child born in New Albany. The three surviving children, Mrs. Dora Blinn, Fred Mooney and Mrs. Ethel Parker are all residents of this city and vicinity.

The deceased was a member of long standing in the Baptist church, had been a member of the A. F. & A. M. for 47 years; was affiliated with the A. O. U. W. and the G. A. R.

He was a man of powerful physique and with the energy, strength, and spirit of industry contributed largely to the growth and development of the community in which he was so long and so intimately identified.

The funeral was held Friday afternoon, Rev. Searcy, the Baptist minister of Cherryvale, delivering the address. Probably the largest assembly of a like nature in the history of New Albany congregated to pay the last tributes of honor and respect to the remains of this rugged and stalwart pioneer who had succumbed to the storms of time.

William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas

WILSON COUNTY, Part 5

NEW ALBANY.

ROBERT MOONEY was born in Hamilton County, Ind., February 16, 1842; came to Kansas in April, 1865; located where New Albany now is in July, 1865; commenced mercantile business in partnership with William Hall in 1871. He bought the New Albany grist and saw mill and ran that in connection with mercantile business until the fall of 1878, when he sold his interest in the store to E. Alley & Co., and then commenced building a new water mill. In April, 1879 the mill was completed, and in 1882 he put in improved machinery, and now has a first class merchant and exchange mill. March 8, 1866, was married to Miss N. E. Bethard, of Coffey County, Kan. Dora A. Mooney was born March 16, 1867; Albert B. was born February 10, 1870, died October 26, 1870; Elmer B. was born November 28, 1872, died August 27, 1872; Maud L. was born February 1, 1874; Fred R. February 1, 1876; Ethiel, February 6, 1878.