My Family History: Pioneers of Custer County, Montana And Leavenworth County, Kansas

About the Book

It was during the settlement of what was then just Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, mid to late 1800’s, before becoming two separate entities, the fort and its town, that my Irish ancestors (Kanelly, Pike, Roache and McMahon) and Spanish (Baskas) ancestors began to take hold and build upon it their own families. They were typical hard working families that moved into and took root in the farming area of Kickapoo, Kansas and eventually moved into and settled in Leavenworth. Margaret Josephine Kanelly, our Irish immigrant, was persuaded into moving to the United States by what would become her first husband, Michael Roache. Michael was serving in the Civil War when he traveled to Ireland to visit his family and would eventually meet and later marry Margaret in the states. Records appear to show that both were from Midleton, Ireland. Michael and Margaret would begin their lives in Leavenworth, Kansas as they would marry there and have a few children. It appears that after having her first child, she returns back to Ireland for about a year and possibly bringing back her sister, Catherine.

Once Margaret returns, Michael is stationed at Fort Keogh in Montana. Margaret’s sister, Catherine, would soon marry a Barry and continue living in Leavenworth. The Barry family would own and run what was then the Barry Tavern in Leavenworth. Margaret would later join her husband who is already in Montana. They lived on a ranch just outside the fort and have a few more children. Michael would get orders back to Fort Leavenworth where they would again have more children. After Michael retired from the war, we would be ordered to do contracting work in Louisiana and strangely enough, would become ill and die there. Unfortunately, now, no other trace of him can be found, other than a death record.

About a year after his death, Margaret would soon meet and marry Daniel Richard Pike [from Queen´s (now Laois) County, Ireland] in Kansas City, Kansas. He worked for the city, laying down the streets for Leavenworth. They would begin their lives in Kansas City having a few children. They would then move and settle in Leavenworth and have four boys and one girl, my grandmother. The four boys would eventually serve during World War I and II and continue having children. Margaret, their last child, would marry twice, John Becker, where she had two girls, and John Baskas, all boys and one girl. Margaret’s parents bought 400 Pawnee in Leavenworth where they would raise their family. Her parents would soon sell the house to their daughter and son-in-law, John and Margaret Baskas where they too would raise their family there.

John Baskas, the son of Spanish and Irish immigrants, lived in Kickapoo with his parents until they moved into Leavenworth. During John and Margaret’s marriage, their home would be served as a bar or tavern for many years. John was famous (or at least quietly known) for making his own liquor. Strangely, he was never caught. They had numerous children who some would later serve in many branches of the military during World War II. Once John died, Margaret would later move into another home which would be her last as she would pass on. Not long after she moved from the Pawnee home, it would be taken by the city and later torn down.

The Pike brothers are buried at Fort Leavenworth, one Baskas is at Wadsworth Cemetery, and the rest are intered at Mount Calvary in Lansing.

The information that´s been compiled into this book comes from two sources, documents and word of mouth via family. Most of the documents come from years of research I´ve found in Leavenworth and a few out of state. If someone finds a discrepancy in the book, please feel free to contact me and share! The book was still being updated the same day it was submitted into publication! Please email me anytime, rbaskas1@hotmail.com

About the Author

About the author: Richard Scott Baskas is currently an Ed.D. candidate with Walden University in the beginning stages of his dissertation, entitled "An Embedded Study to Identify What Barriers Discourage Military Veterans from Taking Full Advantage of the G.I. Bill". The author is a USAF disabled veteran and became curious as to why some veterans never took advantage of their education benefit while having used his benefits towards his education.