William P. Kennedy, of Glenwood Springs, the county assessor of Garfield county, this state, and who has had a long experience in public office, which he has always filled with credit to himself and advantage to the people whom he served, is a native of Jackson county, Iowa, born in 1865. He is the son of E.J. and Bridget E. (Reed) Kennedy, the former a native of New York and the latter of Ireland. The mother died in 1877, at the age of thirty-six, having been the mother of ten children, William being the sixth in the order of birth. The next year after the death of his wife the father moved his family to Colorado and for some years thereafter engaged in ranching. Then selling out his interests, he lived retired from active pursuits until his death, which was caused by his accidentally falling from a bridge at Glenwood Springs in November, 1901, when he was about sixty-eight years old. The son, William P. Kennedy, was reared to the age of twelve on the paternal homestead in Iowa, then started to make his own way in the world by working on farms in the neighborhood of his home, which he did in his native state for four years at six dollars a month. In 1885 he came to Colorado and, locating at Rifle, was employed for two years in riding the range and herding cattle. In 1887 he moved to Aspen, where he was engaged in mining until 1893, when he took up his residence at Debeque, Mesa county, where for two years he published a newspaper called the Debeque Era, one year of the time serving as mayor of the town. From Debeque he moved to Rifle and bought a one-half interest in the Rifle Reveille, which he edited and managed, serving two terms also as justice of the peace. He made his home at Rifle until elected to his present office of county assessor in 1901, when he moved to Glenwood Springs, where he has since been living and occupied with his official duties. He was married in 1893 to Miss Emma Marchesi, and they have three children, Fred H., Alma I. and William Edwin. Mr. Kennedy is highly respected as a citizen and has won high approbation as a public officer.
Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.