"The first permanent settler in Kearny county was John O'Loughlin, who was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1842. He came to America with his mother and two other children in 1850 and settled at Dubuque, Iowa. He came to Kansas in 1861, entering the government service at Fort Leavenworth as a teamster in the department of the quartermaster. He left the government service at Fort Hays, December 1, 1869, and opened a trading post on the military road between Fort Hays and Fort Dodge, doing business with soldiers, buffalo hunters and freighters. He closed out in 1872, when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad was completed through the state, and, after spending a few months in Dodge City, moved to Lakin in March, 1873. With a small stock of goods he opened a store in a dugout a little east and north of the Harvey house on the railroad right of way and here carried on a thriving trade with the freighters and plainsmen. He built a small dwelling house just north of the righ! t of way and south of where his son, William D. O'Loughlin, now lives. In May of the same year Mr. O'Loughlin was joined by his mother, Mrs. White, and his sister, Margaret C. White, then a girl of fifteen years of age, who was born in Dubuque, Iowa, November 12, 1857. His mother died on August 8, 1878, and his sister kept house for him until her marriage, November 5, 1879, to Thomas J. Pearl. Thomas J. Pearl was born in Wabash county, Indiana, February 14, 1847. He came to Kearny county in October, 1876, as an employee of the Santa Fe and continued in this work for many years. He made Lakin his home for the remaining years of his life. http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1938/38_1_hicks.htm 1880 Kearny County , Kansas [no township given] Pearl, Thomas 28 IN clerk in store Fa: KY Mo: VA Margaret, wife 25 IA pars: IA Coughlin, John other, single 38 Ire retail grocer posted by Sharon Carberry not researching O'Loughlin