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McGoughs
and McGues
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McGoughs
and McGues
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John McGough, my great-grandfather, was the patriarch of the first of several McGough families in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Here is my effort to make sense of what I know about my family and other McGoughs in Eau Claire.
McGough is sometimes spelled McGue in Eau Claire records. For example, go to the Pre-1907 Birth Indices for Eau Claire Co. WI - Surnames beginning with "M" database under Vital Records on the Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb page and you will find my father's birth recorded as "MCGUE, Thomas R, born on 03 Jan 1900." His brother Justin Hugh is recorded as "MCGOUGH, Justin H, born on 26 Sep 1896" and his sister Mary Elizabeth is listed as "MCGOUGH, Mary E, born on 28 Aug 1898." In the Pre-1907 Death Indices for Eau Claire Co. WI -Surnames beginning with "M" database, the death at birth of my father's brother, Hugh McGough, is recorded as "MCGUE, Hugh, died on 06 Dec 1906." (The interment records of St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire show that, on December 6, 1906, the "Child of Hough McGue" was stillborn.)
The Wisconsin Genealogy Index maintained by the Wisconsin Historical Society now allows a consolidated word search for pre-1907 Vital Records, including birth, death, and marriage records, as well as for 150,000 Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) records, including biographical sketches, obituaries, and newspaper articles published before 2000. This is a good place to begin a search of vital records. Remember that many McGough records are indexed under McGue and McGeough.
A good list of links to Eau Claire research tools is on the website of Eau Claire County WIGenWeb. See also the Genealogy Tools and Databases & Collections on the website of the Wisconsin Historical Society. They have an index to obituary records from Eau Claire newspapers from 1958 to present.
The L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire also has an excellent genealogy section with many research databases available on line. Most of the Eau Claire birth, marriage, and death records/obituaries cited on this page are available through this library. Their History section contain local and state historical references, many of which are searchable online, along with many old Eau Claire Directories.
The Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb has a good collection of searchable databases of vital records, city directories, and other sources. Their Histories section includes Internet versions of the portions of several historical works that pertain to Eau Claire county. See also: Ancestor Hunt—Obituary Search Engines and Indexes at Libraries, Universities and Societies States—Wisconsin, and the Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Genealogy Links. The Relatives of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, page on the Dowling Family Genealogy web site contains genealogical date on many McGoughs and their relatives. See also: RootsWeb World Connect Project: Ancestors of the Burns - Cord Family of San Jose, California.
Ancestry.com, under the category of newspapers and publications, has available by subscription a fully searchable text version of the Eau Claire Leader for the years 1889–1923. The images can be browsed sequentially. The images were first published on Ancestry.com on May 30, 2008.
The Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire is a non-profit, education society dedicated to the preservation of genealogy and genealogical sources in the Eau Claire area. For more links, see: Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Genealogy Links.
My great-grandfather John McGough was born in county Monaghan, Ireland, in 1824, according to family tradition. The 1860 federal census of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, however, shows his age as 29. He may have been born, therefore, in 1830 or 1831. His family was Catholic. He lived in county Monaghan (or Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania) long enough to become a blacksmith and wagon maker—again according to family tradition. He may have served as an apprentice in Ireland. He probably came to the United States as a result of the Great Famine of the late 1840s, although there is a possibility that he was a part of an emigration from county Monaghan to Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, in the 1830s or early 1840s. He was married in (or near) Pottsville, Pennsylvania, on May 20, 1855. He was naturalized on December 23, 1857, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. To be naturalized in 1857, John McGough had to show that he had been a resident of the United States for five years and of Wisconsin for one year. The fact that he was naturalized means it is unlikely he came to the United States with his parents as a child. If a foreign-born father of a minor child (under the age of 21 in the 1800s) were naturalized as a US citizen, the child would automatically became a citizen if the child was a lawful permanent resident.
John McGough's first residence in the United States was in or near Pottsville (Schuylkill county) Pennsylvania, and not in Pottstown (Montgomery county) Pennsylvania, as family tradition once had it. Pottsville is 93 miles northwest of Philadelphia and on the southern edge of the anthracite coal region in Schuylkill county. (Pottstown is 38 miles northwest of Philadelphia.) John McGough may have been invited to the Pottsville area by another McGough or by a related family from county Monaghan. The families of Terence and Andrew McGough (McGue) had been residents of Schuylkill county since the 1830s, and may have attracted John McGough to the area. Some of Terence and Andrew McGoughs' children followed John and Catherine McGough from the Pottsville area to Eau Claire. For more on the families of Terence and Andrew McGough, see McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s and the section on Schuylkill county in my web page: Inconsistent Census Reporting.
Five years after my great-grandmother, Catherine Fitzpatrick, accompanied her husband John on the journey from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin in 1855/1856, her father, mother, brothers and sisters, made the same move—in 1861. Two obituaries in newspapers of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, quoted below, say that the Fitzpatricks came to Eau Claire from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. A check of the 1850 census records of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, unearthed no trace of John McGough or John McGue, my great-grandfather. The major industry in the Pottsville area in the 1850s was anthracite coal mining. There were iron furnaces in Pottsville in the early 1850s and many local blacksmiths. Because of his experience as a blacksmith, John may have worked in an iron-related job in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, after 1850 and before his move to Wisconsin in 1855/1856. Both Terence and Andrew McGough spent their lives in St. Clair as laborers in the coal industry.
My great-grandmother Catherine Fitzpatrick was was the oldest of several children born to Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick. Catherine was probably born in New York in about 1836. Some sources say she was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The 1850 census of Norwegian township, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, lists her as age 14, born in Pennsylvania. The 1860 and 1870 censuses of Wisconsin report that she was born in New York. The 1880 Wisconsin federal census listing for Catherine McGough says that both her parents were born in Ireland. The Fitzpatricks must have been among the early Irish settlers in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. See my page: McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s.
John McGough and Catherine Fitzpatrick were married in or near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, on May 20, 1855. They moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and arrived there no later than December of 1856. A Patrick Fitzpatrick, who, on the basis of no hard evidence, I assume to have been a cousin of Catherine's with the same name as her father and younger brother, also moved to Eau Claire before the end of 1856. He may have traveled with John and Catherine, or he may have moved to Eau Claire before 1856 and then encouraged his cousin Catherine and her new husband to join him. The "McGough family" is on a list of Old Settlers in Eau Claire Co. up to 1863 issued by The Eau Claire Leader, 1891–92, pages 27–31.
Eau Claire is in northwest Wisconsin, 82 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul, 122 miles north of La Crosse, 152 miles south of Duluth, and 314 miles northwest of Chicago. Eau Claire is about 45 miles upstream (northeast) on the Chippewa River from Pepin, Wisconsin (and Reads Landing on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi), where the Chippewa River joins the Mississippi, which junction is about 65 miles southeast of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The US Census Bureau has published a map of the counties of Wisconsin, which will be helpful in interpreting some of the material in this section.
What caused my great-grandparents to select Eau Claire as their home and move there in 1855 or 1856? Wisconsin was a new state (1848) where land was cheap. There were only 100 people in Eau Claire in 1855, most of whom were engaged in lumbering. In 1852, the first farmer purchased 200 acres of land and ultimately produced marketable quantities of wheat.
"The first farmer to settle in Eau Claire County was the Rev. Thomas Barland who in 1852 purchased 200 acres of farm land along what became the Sparta Road. Two years later he brought his family from Illinois. In 1855 there were only about 100 persons living in Eau Claire, most involved in lumbering. ...
"Randall reported that in 1857 only a few hundred bushels were shipped from Eau Claire. The shipment increased to 150,000 bushels in 1861 and by 1875 the total had passed 300,000 from the county alone. ... Wagon after wagon of grain was hauled to shipping points on the Chippewa River during these years." Wheat once 'king' of regions crops
Barland's letters to his wife in McLean county Illinois give a good picture of Eau Claire in 1851 and 1852. Barland letters reveal life of local pioneers.
One of the original settlers of Eau Claire was Stephen Smith McCann (October 4, 1811–November 1, 1880), one of three Irish McCann brothers who came to the Chippewa Valley from Marietta, Ohio, in the Spring of 1839. In 1846, Steve McCann, "a big good natured Irishman," who was born in Kentucky, built a cabin at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers and moved his family into it. His wife was the first white woman to remain in the Chippewa Valley. Stephen McCann became one of the two first supervisors of Chippewa county when it was first organized in December, 1854. Stephen's brother, Arthur, had earlier gained a measure of immortality by being the first white man to be murdered in the area. Arthur McCann was shot in 1843 by a man named Sawyer after a card game near Dunnville. Another source says that Arthur was murdered by "one of the workmen on the mill [which McCann was building in Dunnville], named Sawyer, [who] had a disagreement with Arthur McCann over wages, and shot him dead, running away and never being heard of afterward." A more complete version of the killing is found in McCann Brothers Were Symbolic of Valley published by the Chippewa Herald Telegram on October 26, 1959, as "Tales Of A River, Episode 94."
"Arthur McCann, youngest of the river brothers, did not live long in the valley. He and J. C. Thomas were partners in the old Blue Mills on the Chippewa river. He was married to Rosalie Demarie at the Falls in 1840. Thomas and McCann had hired a man by the name of Sawyer to work for them at Blue Mills. Sawyer came to the McCann place one night asking for his pay. He said he was leaving. McCann paid the man and offered him a drink. The first drink led to another and another. The two men sat down and began to play cards. 'Art figured he'd get those wages back.' brother Daniel McCann said, shaking his head. The cards led to an argument. McCann stood up and dropped Sawyer with his fists. Sawyer pulled himself to the door, swearing to get revenge. He went to the cabin of Philo Stone nearby, pulling a loaded rifle off the pegs above the door, and returned to McCann's place. Knocking on the door, Sawyer waited until McCann stood in the opening and then he pressed the trigger. McCann fell, mortally wounded, on his own doorstep. The waters of Spring Creek (now located in what is Eau Claire County) ran red for days, but the murderer of Arthur McCann was never apprehended."
For references, see McCann brothers on Wikipedia. See also Debra McCann's Family History, entry 17069 on rootsweb. The murder is also recounted in the History of Chippewa Valley by Thomas E. Randall (1875 Free Press Print. Eau Claire, Wisconsin) pages 21–22:
"Arthur McCann and J. C. Thomas, in partnership had in 1843 commenced and nearly completed the Blue Mills, now so called, the former still residing at Dunville; they had employed on the work for some time, a man by the name of Sawyer, who when his time was up, went down to McCann's for a settlement, after which McCann proposed cards, at the same time treating freely.
"The game went on until evening, when some dispute arose the latter threw a scale-weight at the former, whereupon he repaired to the cabin of Philo Stone, near by, carefully loaded his rifle, went back to the door of McCann's house and called him; on his appearance at the door Sawyer took deliberate aim, and McCann fell dead on his own door-step, the victim of a drunken brawl. Sawyer made his way up the river to Eau Claire, and thence to the Falls of Chippewa, where his pursuers lost track of him, since when he has never been heard of, although a large reward was offered for his apprehension by McCann's friends. His wife returned to her parents, and Philo Stone took possession of the tavern."
Eau Claire County was created on October 6, 1856, from Chippewa county. The village of Eau Claire was also first laid out in 1856. The Eau Claire House hotel and the town's first public school were also built in 1856. The Eau Claire Land Office opened on July 1, 1857, thus for the first time permitting homesteaders to buy their land. In 1856, this was undeveloped frontier country. There had been no means of communication from Eau Claire to the outside world except by water or private conveyance until 1850, when a mail route was ordered by Congress from Prairie du Chien, and a post office was established in Eau Claire. History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin—Past and Present, edited by Judge William F. Bailey (1914 C. F. Cooper & Co. Chicago), at page 354. Although the state of Wisconsin was advertising its general charms to the eastern states as early as 1854, I have found no such material specific to Eau Claire or the Chippewa Valley. The McGoughs were early settlers in the area, which was just beginning to develop in 1856.
For a brief early history of Eau Claire, see: History of the Chippewa Valley, by Thomas E. Randall (1875. Free Press Print. Eau Claire, Wisconsin). History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin—Past and Present, edited by Judge William F. Bailey (1914 C. F. Cooper & Co. Chicago) is available on Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb. See also the Resources section of the Wisconsin GenWeb Project. The History of the Chippewa Valley by Thomas E. Randall (1875) is also published as part of the Wisconsin GenWeb Project.
The year the McGough's arrived in Eau Claire, 1856, was the year when the village was first platted, and the year when the first school and the first hotel were built. In 1856, Eau Claire had 758 males and 674 females, which included 8 black men and 9 black women; but this was a notable increase from the 100 people, mostly mill workers, who lived there in 1855. At this time, Eau Claire consisted of two separate villages: the village of Eau Claire located south of the Eau Claire River and west of the Chippewa River, and the village of Eau Claire City located between the Chippewa River and Half Moon Lake. See Eau Claire: 1850. See also Maps of The Chippewa Valley and the Map of Eau Claire County. There is a good map of Eau Claire in 1919 in the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection of the University of Texas Library. TIGERweb of the US Census Bureau is a marvelous resource, and permits creating detailed maps of any area in the United States, including street names in Eau Claire. The American FactFinder Reference Maps of the US Census Bureau allows zooming in on any street address in the US.
Logging of the dense forest of white pine along the Chippewa River had started in the early 1850s. Beginning about 1856, Eau Claire grew into a lumbering and sawmill center. Here is an excerpt from History of Lumbering in the Chippewa Valley, formerly published on the website of the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp of Eau Claire:
"Eau Claire—A River Crossroads
"Eau Claire, located at the junction of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, was a natural place for lumber mills to be built. Many lumberjacks and mill hands had their homes here, as well as the many businesses which served the lumbering industry.
"Half Moon Lake and Dells Pond were two important natural holding ponds. Dells Pond was further improved by the construction of a dam in the late 1870's; in 1880 the pond was connected by a log flume to Half Moon Lake. These remarkable natural reservoirs provided storage space for the logs which fed what might have been the largest number of sawmills in any one community in the world at that time. These mills gave Eau Claire the nickname of 'Saw Dust City.'
"A large percentage of the pine logs cut in the Chippewa Valley were made into lumber at Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire, the two major sawmill towns on the Chippewa River. As soon as the logs reached the booms or storage areas near the mills in the spring, sawing began. Two types of saws were used—the rotary saw and the large gang saw which cut an entire log at one time. In the mid 1880's, sawmills began using band saws which made less sawdust and were more efficient.
"The blowing of the 6:00 a.m. whistle, the buzz of the many saws and the hissing of the steam engines were familiar sounds in Eau Claire and vicinity. More than twenty sawmills operated here at one time. With the town's economy so closely tied to the lumber industry, nearly everyone suffered when low water prevented the logs from reaching the mills or general economic conditions affected the lumber industry.
"To supplement the natural flow of the rivers, Chippewa Valley lumbermen began about 1870 to use flooding dams to bring the logs to the mills. Their purpose was to hold back water which could be released as needed when low water was a threat. Millions of logs were floated beyond Eau Claire to the mouth of the Chippewa at Beef Slough where they were formed into rafts and brails and floated or towed to sawmill centers along the Mississippi River."
See: The Lower Chippewa River Basin — An Overview; Sawmill Operations; and Logging in Eau Claire in the early1900's. See also Images — History of Lumbering in the Chippewa Valley and Historical Videos of "the bygone days of the great logging era in Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley, the early history of Eau Claire and more" on the website of the L. E. Phillips Public Library of Eau Claire.
The supply of white pine, which at first seemed inexhaustible, was finally exhausted at about the turn of the century. The last lumber raft went down to Chippewa River from Eau Claire to the Mississippi River in 1901.
As late as 1862, the settlers around Eau Claire suffered "Indian scares." See No panic quite like '62 Indian scare, part of a treasure trove of early Chippewa Valley history in Selected Articles from Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond' published by the Eau Claire Leader Telegram, 1976. One article says that pioneers were still arriving in the Eau Claire by oxen-drawn covered wagons or carts as late as 1855. Spirit greatest asset of area pioneer families. An essay entitled Immigrants flooded state upon invitation in Selected Articles from Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond' published by the Eau Claire Leader Telegram, 1976, notes:
"Irish come to St. Croix County. Also on June 4, 1855, a train of four covered wagons, each pulled by eight oxen, arrived on the east fork of the Minnickinnic River in St. Croix County at a place later called 'The Thicket.' Lawrence Hawkins, the leader, and 18 others had made their way from County Galway in Ireland in 1852, making stops in Connecticut and Madison en route. Chickens, pigs, household items and machinery were loaded in the wagons. The cows and young stock followed."
Planned railroad connections to various part of Wisconsin are described at pages 21–23 of the Hand Book of Wisconsin, second edition, by Silas Chapman (1855). The full text of the Hand Book of Wisconsin is available in the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress in the section called Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820–1910. At page 24, the handbook says that steamboat travel is available "on the Mississippi River, the whole of its length bounding the State" and "there are other streams navigable some distance from their mouths, where boats will pass as business requires." The handbook also says on page 24 that "Stages ... run with more or less frequency through all the principal villages not reached by Rail Road." Although Eau Claire county had been carved from Chippewa county in 1854, the handbook describes, beginning at page 52, only the undivided county:
"Chippewa
"One of the largest counties of the State, extending from the line between towns 24 and 25 north, to the line between 40 and 41, being 91 miles long, and averaging about 66 broad. Not one-half of the County is yet surveyed and brought into market. The County is watered by the Chippewa and Yellow Rivers, and their numerous branches, both large and small. It is, in its full sense, a well watered County. Our further description will apply only to the surveyed or Southern part of the County, which will undoubtedly soon be subdivided into several Smaller Counties.
[page 53] "The soil in the western part of the County is good, and great progress has been made in settlements for agricultural purposes. In the northeastern part, the soil is less valuable for farming purposes, but rich soil for the lumbering business, as it is covered with excellent pine.
"Chippewa County contains one of the best and most extensive pineries in the State. There are now in successful operation twelve saw mills on the Chippewa River, capable of cutting 40,000,000 feet of lumber annually. The largest of these mills is located at Chippewa Falls and is commonly known as Allen's Mills; Menomonee Mills; and at the month of the Eau Galla, is Carson and Eaton's. These mills average about 6,000,000 feet annually, and furnish employment for about 600 men.
"The most of the land in the county is still subject to entry. It affords inducements to the immigrant both agricultural and mechanical, as the resources of the county are such as to give permanency to business, and a sure market is always to be found for the products of the forest.
"Chippewa Falls, on Chippewa River, is the County seat. It is the principal depot of the lumbering operations on that River, the pines being above this village. Messrs. H. S. Allen & [page 54] Co. have an extensive sawmill at these falls, sawing daily about 60,000 feet, and giving employment to about 400 men in the business connected with it. A road from Steven's Point to Hudson, passing this place, is soon to be opened."
The short entry for the adjoining new county of Dunn, at page 68 of the handbook, points out that, although saw mills were then running, the resources of this county had not yet begun to be developed. "Most of the land is yet in the hands of Government, and affords rare chance to the immigrant for investment. ... Kansas, a new village on Lake Pepin, is the largest place, and already contains a population of 300."
In Preliminary Railroad Survey in Wisconsin, 1857, Andrew McFarland Davis describes his experiences in 1857 as a member of a crew surveying a projected line of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad from Portage, Wisconsin, to Lake Pepin. There is a map of the route of the railroad survey, north from Portage, Wisconsin, then northwest through Chippewa Falls. At the end of his four-month trip, he traveled by keelboat from Eau Claire down the Chippewa River to Reads Landing on the Mississippi River:
"Camp No. 45 was on the banks of Elk Creek, whence we reached the headwaters of Red Cedar River, and made connections with a surveying party under charge of Mr. Brewer, who had been working from the other end of the line to meet us.
"Tuesday, August 4 [1857], all hands walked to Eau Claire, dined, and started in a keelboat down the Chippewa. At night I slept wrapped up in my blanket, in imminent danger of rolling off into the water, on the ledge of the boat where men stood to pole. About four o'clock the next afternoon we reached Reed's Landing, on the Mississippi. ... Thence, having embarked on a steamer, we arrived at Prairie du Chien in the morning of August 7, and took the train for Milwaukee, whence we had set out fifteen weeks before."
A variety of routes and modes of transportation that may have been used by my great-grandparents on their trip from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, to Eau Claire, are explored on a separate web page: Move of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
A comment in Historical Sketches of Wabasha County, Minnesota, from the book History of Wabasha County (1884) (Chapter 10), indicates that before the connection of Eau Claire with the railroad in 1870, the primary route of transport to Eau Claire was up the Chippewa River from its confluence with the Mississippi. With regard to Reads Landing, Minnesota, the village immediately across the Mississippi from the mouth of the Chippewa, the book says:
"The first setback Reads received was on the completion of the Western Wisconsin railway to Eau Claire in 1870. By this opening of railway communication to the lumber camps and mills the necessity of Read's Landing as a center for supplies and distributing depot was abolished. Supplies came direct by rail to the very heart of the lumber districts; consignments of goods, mails, etc., were more readily made by rail than by water, with this added advantage: the communication was not closed by the incoming of winter, but remained open the year around. Less capital was accordingly locked up in transit, returns being made more readily and the accumulation of winter supplies being no longer indispensable. The commission and trading houses were the ones to feel this curtailment ... "Chapter 10, Pepin Township, pages 647–670.
For more on travel to Eau Claire in 1855 and 1856, see my page: Move of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
My great-grandfather, John McGough, was naturalized in Eau Claire on December 23, 1857. In the court proceedings, Patrick Fitzpatrick was a citizen witness affirming John's residence in the United States for at least five years and in Wisconsin for at least one year. The records and indexes of the court of naturalization mistakenly show John's surname as McGrough. In checking records in Eau Claire county, I was surprised to see the number of times that McGough was spelled McGue in city directories, censuses, and legal records. No member of our family seems to have adopted McGue as a permanent spelling of the surname, and spellings of the same name in directories by the same person often alternate between McGough and McGue from year to year. Other McGough families have permanently changed their surname to McGue. See Spelling of McGough and Distribution of McGoughs in the United States.
The 1860 federal census shows my great-grandfather, John McGue, his wife Catherine, and sons James and John, in the township of North Eau Claire (page 147). My cousin, Rosemary McGough Dolmage, sent me a copy of a receipt dated June 14, 1867, from the United States Internal Revenue. The receipt acknowledges payment of $10 by John McGough of a special tax upon the business or occupation of "retail dealer" to be carried on in the village of Eau Claire for the year ending May 1, 1868. My cousin says that this Special tax was paid so that John McGough could continue "his trade as a wagon and furniture maker to support his family."
The five children of John McGough and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough were all born in Eau Claire. The oldest, James H. McGough, was born in 1857 (or possibly in 1856). Next was John F. McGough, born in 1859. John and Catherine McGough's third child, and first daughter, Rose, was born in 1861. Their fourth child and second daughter, Margaret (Maggie), was born in 1863. My grandfather Hugh McGough, their fifth child and third son, was born on June 16, 1865, two months and one day after the death of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865.
Many Irish families named their first son after the father of the father, the second son after the father of the mother, and the third son after the father. I, therefore, gave a hard look at James McGoughs in Ireland because that may have been the name of John McGough's father. But I'm continuing to look at John McGoughs, since Patrick, not John, was the first name of the father of Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, my great-grandmother. James, John and Hugh, are prime candidates for traditional family given names.
The 1860 federal census of Wisconsin shows this McGough family in the town of North Eau Claire, county of Eau Claire (page 147):
| Age | Occupation | Born | Other | |
| John McGue | 29 | Carpenter, & joiner | Ireland | Value of real estate: $1000. Value of personal property $150. |
| Catharine McGue | 22 | New York | ||
| James McGue | 3 | Wisconsin | ||
| John McGue | 1 | Wisconsin |
John McGough, the head of this family, died in an accident on Christmas eve, 1869. The 1870 federal census lists Catherine McGue as the head of this household in the town of Eau Claire (page 259):
| Age | Occupation | Born | Other | |
| Catherine McGue | 32 | Keeping Home | New York | Parents were foreign born. |
| James McGue | 13 | At home | Wisconsin | |
| John McGue | 11 | At home | Wisconsin | |
| Rosina McGue | 10 | At home | Wisconsin | |
| Margaret McGue | 7 | At home | Wisconsin | |
| Hugh McGue | 5 | At home | Wisconsin | My grandfather. |
The 1880 census shows in Eau Claire: Catharine McGough, age 40, born in Pennsylvania (New York?), whose mother and father were born in Ireland, "keeping house," living with her five children, all of whom were born in Wisconsin, and whose father was born in Ireland, and whose mother was born in Pennsylvania; son, James H. McGough, age 23, a carpenter; son, John F. McGough, age 20, marble cutter; daughter, Rosa McGough, age 19, "at home"; daughter, Maggie, age 17, "at school"; and son, Hugh McGough, age 15, "at school."
Records of Eau Claire county show that John McGough took possession of land there on June 15, 1858. A grant of land to John McGough from the United States is dated August 1, 1860, and was recorded with the county Register Office in Eau Claire on December 29, 1860 (Volume 2 of Deeds, pages 572 and 573). The purchase was of 149.26 acres in the NE ¼ of Section 5, Township 27 [-N], Range 7-W, in the District of Sands. The title document recites: as to 120 acres of this purchase, the original land warrant was issued by the United States under an 1855 Act of Congress granting bounty land to officers and soldiers of the United States; the original grant was to William Sadler, a Private in Captain Wirts’ Company of the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812; warrant number 68,591 had been deposited in the General Land Office in favor of Sadler; and Sadler had assigned his rights to N. Byron Boyden, who assigned his rights to John McGough.
Eau Claire county records show that John and Catherine McGough sold this land to Patrick Fitzpatrick on December 12, 1861, for $300. The purchaser of this land was probably the father of Catherine Fitzpatrick, who had moved from Pottsville to Eau Claire earlier in 1861. At one time, I speculated that the grantee of this land might have been the same "Pat Fitzpatrick" who, with a 28 year-old John McGough, arrived in New York from Liverpool aboard the ship David Cannon on May 16, 1851. This is unlikely. Eau Claire county records show that an adjoining 147.41 acres of land had been acquired by Patrick Fitzpatrick. This land was immediately east of the land described above. The description of that property was the NW ¼ of Section 4, Township 27 [N], Range 7-W in the District of Sands. Patrick Fitzpatrick, and wife Margaret Fitzpatrick, deeded the east 100 acres of that property to Catherine McGough on the same date as the transaction described above, December 12, 1861. The Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick who conveyed this property were almost certainly the parents of Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough.
The title document of the purchase in section 4, which is east of section 5, recites: as to 120 acres of this purchase, the original land warrant was issued by the United States under an 1855 Act of Congress granting bounty land to officers and soldiers of the United States; the original grant was to Sally Cox, widow of Thomas Cox, a Private in Captain Adams Company of the New York Militia in the War of 1812; warrant number 45,818 had been deposited in the General Land Office in favor of Sallie Cox; Sallie Cox had assigned her rights to Daniel Hopkins; and Hopkins had assigned his rights William B. Marfield. Eau Claire county records show that Marfield entered onto the land on April 6, 1858. Marfield recorded the United States Land Grant, which was dated August 3, 1860, in the Eau Claire County Register’s office on December 13, 1861 (Volume 3 of Deeds, pages 111 and 112).
None of the persons named in connection with these land transactions shows up as a patentee in a computer search of Wisconsin land records in the General Land Office reports of the Bureau of Land Management. An email message of August 13, 1898, from Lamar McCown of the Bureau of Land Management explains: "The website includes patents that were issued mostly under the Cash and Homestead Acts. Automation of Military Warrants will be a future project." If the original basis of the title, therefore, is a military warrant, neither the original nor the subsequent transactions will be found in the GLO reports.
On November 30, 1863, Catherine McGough and her husband John McGough, my great-grandparents, sold to William T. Mooney for $200 the 100 acres of section 4 that had been deeded to Catherine by her parents on December 12, 1861. The grantee was probably the William Mooney who married Catherine Fitzpatrick's sister, Rosanah Fitzpatrick, who had been born about 1840 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and was to die on March 5, 1868, in Eau Claire. The marriage of William T. Mooney and Rosanah Fitzpatrick probably took place about the time of the conveying of the property to William T. Mooney.
Despite her marriage to William T. Mooney, Rosanah appears to have used the surname name Fitzpatrick throughout her life. Joe Flynn, a native of Eau Claire, tells me that the record of the marriage in 1866 of Andrew Conley and Mary McKernan, his great-grandparents, shows that one of the witnesses to the marriage was "Rose Anna Fitzpatrick, daughter of Patrick & Margaret Fitzpatrick." (At the time of the marriage, the Conley and McKernan families were both living in the township of Pleasant Valley, south of Eau Claire.) That wedding took place at St. Patrick's parish church on May 1, 1866, 4 years after Rosanah Fitzpatrick's marriage to William T. Mooney. Rosanah Fitzpatrick's obituary identifies her as "Rosanah Fitz Patrick, wife of Wm. Mooney." (See below.)
I have found no evidence that William T. Mooney and Rosanah Fitzpatrick had any children or, indeed, lived together. On March 5, 1868, Rosanah fell into a well and died. A few years after the death of his first wife, in 1875 or earlier, William T. Mooney may have married Roseanne McManus (born in Pennsylvania in October, 1858), the oldest daughter of Daniel McManus and Anna McGough McManus. Records show that Roseanne McManus married a man named Mooney and gave birth to a son, William F. Mooney, in October of 1875. William F. Mooney, the son, apparently never married. The 1900–1930 censuses show him as a farmer in Union and single. He died in 1939 in Wisconsin.
An obituary of the father, William T. Mooney, appeared on page 5 of the Eau Claire Leader of April 22. 1903:
"Dies in Minneapolis
"W. T. Mooney, formerly of the town of Union, but later employed as a coal wagon driver in Minneapolis, dropped dead at 6:30 o'clock last Saturday in front of the company's office, Twenty-ninth and First Avenue South. He was standing in his empty wagon box talking to a companion when, without warning, he fell backward. He was taken at once to his home, but was dead before medical help arrived. Heart trouble was thought to be the cause of his death. The deceased leaves to mourn his loss, a widow, residing in Minneapolis. Wm. Mooney, Misses McGue and John McGue of Eau Claire."
The 1900 census of Minneapolis (ward 4), Hennepin county, lists a William T. (or F., indexed by Ancestry.com as F.) Mooney, age 60, born in January, 1840, in New York, to parents born in Ireland, married 19 years but not living with his wife, whose occupation was "Teamster/Express." (T-623, roll 767. page 13A, line 44). In what may be a duplicate listing, there is also a William Mooney listed in Bloomington, Hennepin county, Minnesota, with a wife: William Mooney, age 61, born in January, 1839, in New York, to parents born in Ireland, married 19 years, teamster; his wife, Ruth Mooney, age 59, born in October 1840, in England to parents born in England, married 19 years, 2 children, both living, naturalized in 1855, 45 years a U. S. citizen (T-623, roll 770, page 7B, line 71).
By an email of March 31, 2003, Teresa McKelvey informs me that she is a descendant of Rosanna McManus Mooney, the mother of William F. Mooney who was born in October of 1875, that Rosanna later married John Gormley (1856–1944) on October 13, 1880, in St. Patrick's Church, Eau Claire, and that she had seven more children by John Gormley before her death in Eau Claire on June 11, 1900. Their marriage and children are shown in the family tree on Teresa McKelvey's website: McKelvey`s & Families Of Ireland - Quebec - U.S. Teresa McKelvy is a descendant of John Gormley.
The 1860 federal census of Pennsylvania shows Daniel McMannus, age 28, in the borough of St. Clair, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. His occupation is listed as coal miner, and the value of real estate held as $250. He was born in Ireland. Residing with him was his wife, Ann, 19, born in Pennsylvania, and daughter Roseanna, age 1, born in Pennsylvania. (An index to the 1860 census of Schuylkill county Pennsylvania compiled by Marjorie Wylam Bleidner (Book 974.817 X2b 1860, film 6048738, LDS Family History Centers) shows the family of Daniel McManus, age 28, born in Ireland, in the East and West Ward of Minersville, house 1833, page 250, IDND 772, line 27. The residence shown by the census is St. Clair Borough (North Ward).) The age of Daniel's wife Anne in this census corresponds with that of the 10 year old Anne McGue who, ten years earlier in the 1850 census, was shown living with her parents, Andrew and Elizabeth McGue, in New Castle township (page 156), Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. Anne McGue's parents were living in St. Claire Borough (North Ward) (page 743) in 1860. Anne had left their home before 1860. This is almost certainly the Ann McGough who married Daniel McManus. Andrew McGue and Andrew McGough was the same person, as was Anne McGue and Ann McGough. (Irish McGoughs sometimes adopted, or had imposed upon them, the phonetic spelling McGue upon emigrating to the United States. See, for example, the entries under Schuylkill county in my page Inconsistent Census Reporting.)
My guess is that Daniel and Ann McGough McManus moved from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin shortly after the end of the Civil War, in late 1865 or 1866. Ann's brother, Andrew McGough, born in 1844, may have accompanied her from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin. On February 1, 1866, Andrew McGough was a sponsor at the baptism in Eau Claire of John Murray, son of Michael and Rosa Murray. The church record says that Andrew McGough was of the family of Andrew and Elizabeth McGough; a description that best fits the younger brother of Ann McGough McManus. Her father, also Andrew, would have been 61 at the time, a little long in tooth to take on responsibility for the life-time spiritual welfare of a new-born child. The sacramental records of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Eau Claire also show that on May 7, 1867, Patrick Devine and Rose Murray were sponsors at the baptism of James (Iacobus) McManus, the son of Daniel and Ann (McGough) McManus. (Michael Murry, age 30, a farmer, born in Ireland, is listed in the 1870 census of North Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Living with him was his wife, Rose, age 30, also born in Ireland, who could neither read nor write, and their 5 children, all born in Wisconsin: James, 8, Bridget, 6, John, 4, Hugh, 2, and Michael, 3 months.)
The 1870 federal census of Wisconsin shows the Daniel McManus family residing in Oak Grove township (page 303) of Eau Claire. The family name is spelled McMannus. Daniel is listed as a 40 year old farmer, born in Ireland. Ann is listed as 35 years old, "at home," and born in the United States (Pennsylvania in the 1880 census). The children are Rosina, age 11, born in Pennsylvania; Dennis (Daniel in the 1880 census), age 5, born in Pennsylvania; James, age 4, born in Wisconsin; and Elizabeth, age 2, born in Wisconsin. Rosina is listed as Roseanne in the 1880 Wisconsin census, and Rosanna (age 1) in the 1860 census of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania (below). Elizabeth, age 2 in 1870, apparently died between 1870 and 1880.
The 1880 federal census of Wisconsin shows Daniel McManus (spelled McManes in the electronic version), a farmer, age 48, living with his wife Ann (McGough), age 40, in the town of Union in Eau Claire county (T-9, roll 1425, page 460, line 11; Family History Film 1255425). The McManus family was living next door to the family of John Joseph McGough and his wife Rosanna (Mooney) McGough T-9, roll 1425, page 460, line 22; Family History Film 1255425). See Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The census shows that Daniel McManus was born in Ireland, as were his parents; that Ann was born in Pennsylvania, and her parents were born in Ireland. Living with them were their children and one grandson: their daughter Roseanne McManus Mooney, age 21, born in Pennsylvania, and her son William F. Mooney, age 4, listed as the grandson of Daniel and Ann McManus; and their other children, Daniel McManus, age 16, born in Pennsylvania; James McManus, age 13, born in Wisconsin; Mary McManus, age 11, born in Wisconsin; John McManus, age 8, born in Wisconsin; Andrew McManus, age 6, born in Wisconsin; Catherine McManus, age 4, born in Wisconsin; and Hugh, age 2, born in Wisconsin. The place of birth of the two older children, Roseanne (age 21) and Daniel (age 16) is shown as Pennsylvania. The other children, and the grandson, are all shown as having been born in Wisconsin. This means that Daniel and Ann McGough McManus moved from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin in about 1865 or 1866. Joe Flynn tells me that Mary "Molly" McManus, daughter of Daniel McManus and Ann McGough McManus, married his great uncle, Matthew Flynn, brother of John Flynn. Wisconsin Marriages, pre-1907, volume 4, page 10 (on Ancestry.com), shows a marriage of a Daniel McManus on April 16, 1901 (probably to Alice Van Horn), in Eau Claire. This may be the marriage of the oldest son of Daniel and Ann McGough McManus, who is shown as 16 years of age in the 1880 census. The Pre–1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI lists the death of Daniel McMannus on June 5, 1905.
Ann McGough McManus was born in Pennsylvania to a father named McGough who had been born in Ireland. Ann McGough (Mrs. Daniel) McManus was the same person as the Anne McGue, shown by the 1850 Pennsylvania federal census of New Castle township (page 456) in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, as the 10 year old daughter, born in Pennsylvania, of Andrew (age 41) and Elizabeth (age 32) McGue, both born in Ireland. Living with the Andrew McGues in Pennsylvania in 1850 was 20 year old Catharine Devine, born in Ireland. Perhaps she was a relative of the Patrick Devine who was a sponsor at the baptism in Eau Claire in 1867 of James McManus, son of Daniel and Ann (McGough) McManus. See McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s.
Here is a message from Mark McManus posted on February 26, 2000, on The McManus Surname Message Board of FamilyHistory.com:
"I am looking for any relatives who may have information on my gggrandfather who came to America in the early 1850's, worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania and ultimately moved to the town of Union in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin about 1865-66. I am specifically attempting to find anyone who may have information on one of his sons, my grandfather, Andrew Martin McManus born in 1874. He had a daughter, Marie McManus from a first marriage. He was then remarried to my grandmother, Herma Wiltse, lived in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century until about 1925 after their divorce in 1915. There is no record of his whereabouts after this date. His ex-wife Herma McManus moved to Freeland, Michigan where she remarried into the Vasold family."
See also a May 4, 1998, message on "McManus Interest Page (Postings)—1998 Rannsachadh Sloinn MacMaghnusa (Clár Fógraí)—Bliain 1998."
Living next to Daniel McManus and Ann McGough McManus in the town of Union, next to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at the time of the 1880 federal census was another farmer, John Joseph McGough, age 30; his wife Roseanne Mooney McGough, age 30; his mother-in-law Mary Mooney, age 70 (doubtless the widow of Hugh Mooney discussed above); and four children of John Joseph McGough and Roseanne Mooney, all of whom were born in Wisconsin: John E. McGough, age 7; Hugh F. McGough, age 5*; Roseanne McGough, age 3; and Elizabeth McGough, age 1. The birth place of the John McGough who was the head of this family is shown as Canada, and his parents' birthplace as Ireland. Roseanne's birthplace is shown as Wisconsin, and her parents' birthplace as Ireland. The birthplaces of Mary Mooney, the mother-in-law, and her parents, are listed as Ireland. Mary Mooney, therefore, was born in Ireland about 1810. Mary Mooney, by virtue of being the mother of William T. Mooney, who was the father of William F. Mooney; and Ann McGough McManus, by virtue of being the mother of Roseanne McManus Mooney, the mother of William F. Mooney, were both grandmothers of four-year-old William F. Mooney at the time they lived on adjoining farms in Eau Claire county.
*Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908, on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number 13165990, lists the birth of Hugo Francis McGough to John McGough and Rosanna Mooney on August 19, 1874, and Hugh's baptism on August 30, 1874, in Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Eau Claire.
The parents of my great-grandmother, Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, and several of her brothers and sisters moved to Eau Claire in 1861. The family of Daniel and Ann McGough McManus moved from Pennsylvania to Eau Claire four or five years later, probably in 1866. Since Daniel McManus and his wife, Ann McGough, came from the same area in Pennsylvania as did the Fitzpatricks, the relationship between Ann McGough's parents in Pennsylvania, Andrew and Elizabeth McGough, to the family of my great-grandfather, John McGough, may help determine the place of origin of our McGough family in Ireland.
Daniel McManus, born in Ireland on July 12, 1825, died in Eau Claire on June 5, 1905, and is buried there in St. Patrick's Cemetery. An obituary in the June 6, 1905, edition of the Eau Claire Leader said:
"D. McManus, a well known farmer of the town of Union, and a resident of Eau Claire county for the past forty years, passed away at his country home yesterday morning at six o'clock. The deceased would have been eighty years of age on the 12th of July. His death was due to dropsy and the infirmities of old age. He is survived by a wife and four sons, Daniel, James, Andrew and Hugh." Find A Grave Memorial# 94328628.
Ann McGough McManus (1839–1916) died in eau Claire in 1916 and is buried there in St. Patrick's Cemetery. Find A Grave Memorial# 94328711.
Thomas McGough, was born in 1843 or 1844, in the parish of Magheracloone, county Monaghan, Ireland. He was the son of Michael McGough and Rose Halton, whose story is told on a separate page of this site, Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Thomas was one year old at the time of the family's emigration from Ireland to Lindsay, Ontario. Thomas emigrated from Canada to the US, through New York, in 1861, moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, probably shortly after 1861, and filed a declaration of intent to become a US citizen on October 31, 1872, in Eau Claire. The declaration says he was born in 1844. His first born son, John McGough, was born in Eau Claire on May 1, 1866.
Thomas McGough was married to Ellen (Helen?) Kidd (1842–1892), who was also born in Ireland. That the first born son of Thomas and Ellen Kidd was named John McGough, and my great-grandmother, Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, was the godmother at his baptism on May 1, 1866, supports a hypothesis that Thomas McGough was related to my great-grandfather, John McGough. Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908, on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number 1316599), lists the birth of Sarah Elisabeth McGough to Thomas McGough and Hellena Kidd on March 21, 1874, and the baptism of Sarah on April 19, 1874, at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Eau Claire. The same records show the birth of Thomas Jacobus (James) McGough to Thomas McGough and Hellena Kidd on February 28, 1876, and the baptism of Thomas on March 26, 1876, at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Eau Claire; and the baptism of Emma McGeough, born to Thomas McGeough and Ellen Kidd, at St, Patrick's Church on August 17, 1879. Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908.
Interment records of Thomas McGough at St. Patrick's cemetery in Eau Claire show the span of his life as 1825–1897, but 1844 appears to be the correct year of birth of this Thomas McGough. (There was possibly a second Thomas McGough in Eau Claire who was born in 1825, but I doubt it. See below.) The cemetery records show that Thomas and Ellen are interred side by side in the McGue block (lots 3 and 4, block 34, lot 2) and the names are spelled as Thomas McGue and Ellen McGue. The Pre 1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI, lists the death of Thomas McGaugh on July 4, 1897. This is doubtless a reference to Thomas McGough. The death of Mrs. Thomas McGough is recorded on October 11, 1897, but her gravestone and cemetery records say she died in 1892.
The 1870 census of Eau Claire lists the family this way:
(1870) Thomas McGue, age 36, laborer, with real estate worth $500, born in Ireland, who could neither read nor write (roll 1712, page 251b).
Helen McGue, age 20, keeping house, born in Ireland, who could neither read nor write. [Perhaps her age should be 28; first name is sometimes said to be Ellen; my information is that Thomas McGough was married to Ellen Kidd (1842–1892) who was born in Ireland.]
John McGue, age 4, at home, born in Wisconsin. [born in Eau Claire on May 1, 1866. My grandmother, Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, was a sponsor of this John McGough at his baptism. John McGough married Murtie Morehouse on October 6, 1889.]
Jane McGue, age 2, born in Wisconsin. [Maggie J. McGough, age 11, in the 1880 census. ?]
Helen McGue, age 1, born in Wisconsin.
Here is the family as listed in the 1880 census of Eau Claire:
(1880) Thomas McGough, age 40, laborer, born in Ireland. (roll 1424, page 359C)
Emma McGough. age 39, keeping house, born in Ireland. [Should be Ellen or Helen]
John McGough, age 15, boot black, born in Wisconsin.
Mary Ann McGough, age 12, at home, born in Wisconsin.
Maggie J. McGough, age 11, at home, born in Wisconsin.
Rosa McGough, age 10, at home, born in Wisconsin.
Sarah McGough, age 6, born in Wisconsin (born on March 21, 1874).
Thomas McGough, age 4, born in Wisconsin (born on February 8, 1876).
Ellen McGough, age 1, born in Wisconsin.
There was also a later child, born about 1884: Kate McGough.
Here is an note from page 5 of the Eau Claire Leader of March 26, 1897:
"Thos. McGue was stricken with paralysis yesterday. It is thought he cannot recover."
Here is an article from page 8 of the Eau Claire Leader of May 20, 1897:
"On Fire Twice
"About 8 o'clock last evening, the residence of Thomas McGough on South Dewey Street, was set on fire by children playing with matches. About 11:30, the home again took fire from some unknown cause, and was practically destroyed."
Here is an article from page 8 of the Eau Claire Leader of July 7, 1897:
"The funeral of the late Mr. Thos. McGue took place July 6, at 9 a. m., Rev. Father Dunne officiating. Deceased had reached three score and ten. He was an old and respected citizen and one of the first settlers in the city. He and Hon. W. P. Bartlett arrived in Eau Claire forty years ago. The cause of death was paralysis of the heart, July 4th, at his residence, 1203 S. Dewey Street."
This last article describes a Thomas McGue with a year of birth of 1825, which supports the hypothesis, mentioned above, of a second Thomas McGough/McGue. I believe the article confuses Thomas McGough with my great-grandfather, John McGough, who arrived in Eau Claire around 1857. Thomas McGough did not arrive until 1861.
The 1870 census of West Eau Claire lists a Thomas McGue, age 50, born in Ireland, "works in saw mill," living with several other men who worked in a saw mill (M-593, roll 1712, page 352, line 21). My conclusion, however, is that the Thomas McGough who died on July 4, 1897, was the son of Michael McGough and Rose Halton who was born in the parish of Magheracloone, county Monaghan, Ireland, in 1843 or 1844. Neither Thomas nor Ellen could read or write, and there is no consistency in the recording of their ages. For more detail on their history and children, see my page: Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Thomas and Ellen Kidd McGough had eight children. One of the younger children was named after his father, Thomas McGough, who was born on February 8, 1876, and is listed as age 4 in the 1880 census of Eau Claire. Thomas McGough, Jr., is listed in the 1893 Directory of Eau Claire as boarding at 1203 South Dewey Street with his father, Thomas McGough, laborer.
By the time of the Wisconsin state census of June 1, 1905, the younger Tom McGough had married and was living in Eau Claire in this family:
(1905) Tom McGough, age 27, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland, employed as a liquor clerk for 12 of the last 12 months, owner of home (roll CSUSAWI1905_9, page 211, line 34, family number 235).
Kate McGough (wife), age 21, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland. (Could this be Tom's sister?)
Evyline McGough (daughter), age 11 (months?)
Rose McGough (sister), age 30, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland.
The John Joseph McGough who was living in Eau Claire county with his mother-in-law, Mary Mooney, in 1880, was the son of Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. John Joseph McGough moved to Eau Claire from Canada in 1866 when he was about 17 years old and raised two large families in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. His father, Michael McGough, was born in the townland of Crumlin, parish of Magheracloone, county Monaghan, Ireland, in 1803 and died in Lindsay, Ontario, at the age of 78, on December 30, 1881. Michael's wife, and John's mother, Rosanna (sometimes Rose or Rose Ann) Halton, was also born in Ireland. Michael and Rosanna were married in Ireland. They received assisted emigration from the Shirley estate and emigrated from the port of Cork, Ireland to Canada in 1845. Griffith's Valuation in 1857 shows a Thomas Halton in county Cavan, parish of Enniskeen, township of Lisanisky, and the Tithe Applotment Books show a McGeough family in the same parish in 1827. See McGoughs, McGeoughs, and McGeoghs in Ireland in the 1820–30s and 1850–60s: By County, Parish, and Townland, line 69. Because of the good possibility of a relationship between John Joseph McGough and my great-grandfather John McGough, who had moved to Eau Claire from Pennsylvania in 1856, about 10 years before John Joseph McGough made the move from Canada, the story of John Joseph McGough's family may shed some light on the Irish roots of our family. The information I have about the family of John Joseph McGough is set out in a separate page on this website, Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
A third child of Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton moved from Lindsay, Ontario, to Eau Claire. A sister of Thomas and John McGough, Margaret Ellen McGeough, was born in Ireland in 1838; moved from Ireland with her parents to Lindsay, Ontario, in 1845; was confirmed in Lindsay, Ontario, at age 20, on November 10, 1858; and married Bartholomew Fitzsimmons on September 8, 1861, in Lindsay, Ontario. Bartholomew and Margaret McGeough Fitzsimmons moved to Eau Claire sometime before 1870. The 1870 Wisconsin federal census shows Bart. Fitzsimmons, age 42, a farm laborer, living with his wife, Margaret, age 31, who "keeps house." She divorced Bartholomew in Eau Claire County Circuit Court in 1880—because of his habitual drunkenness and failure to support her. She and Bartholomew had no living children. On February 12, 1881, she was married a second time, in Eau Claire, to Michael Keane, a laborer, in a civil ceremony in Flanagan’s restaurant in Eau Claire. (Eau Claire County Register of Deeds-Marriages, volume 1, page 420, #1722) The marriage is listed in the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Marriage Index. See: Brides and Grooms Index. See Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
My great-grandfather John McGough drowned while crossing the Eau Claire River on ice-covered log booms on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1869—according to family history. The records of St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire give the date of death as December 24. The article reporting his death in the Eau Claire Free Press of January 6, 1870, makes no mention of a log boom, and gives the date of death as December 23, 1869, but otherwise confirms family history:
SAD ACCIDENT. —Thursday the 23d ult. John McGue, an old and well known citizen of Eau Claire, came to his death while attempting to cross the Eau Claire River below the bridge. We understand that he was under the influence of liquor at the time and it appears that he was of the impression that the river was safely frozen over at that point, and unconsciously walked directly into an air hole, where the water was too deep to allow him to regain his footing, but not of sufficient depth to strangle him, and there with his head barely above the water's edge he remained crying for help, which finally came, but too late, and when found life was extinct, the excessive cold having chilled him to death. He was a hard working man, and leaves a large family with limited means of support. His funeral on the following Sunday was attended by a very large gathering of citizens who deeply sympathized with the family in their bereavement.
The 1870 federal census shows the widowed Catherine McGough, listed as McGue, living in the home of Alvah Dewey, age 36, an agent for a sewing machine manufacturer, with real estate worth $1000 and personal property worth $1000, who was born in New York, and his wife, Clarissa Dewey, age 28, who was born in Vermont. No children of the Dewey's are listed. Here are the McGues in the household:
Catherine McGue, age 32, keeping house, with real estate worth $2500 and personal property worth $200, born in New York. (Roll 1712 Book 1, Page 259a)
James McGue, age 13, at home, born in Wisconsin. Attended school within year.
John McGue, age 11, at home, born in Wisconsin. Attended school within year.
Rosina McGue, age 10, at home, born in Wisconsin. Attended school within year.
Margaret McGue, age 7, at home, born in Wisconsin. Attended school within year.
Hugh McGue, age 5, at home, born in Wisconsin [my grandfather].
The 1880 federal census and the 1880 Eau Claire City Directory show Catherine McGough, age 40 (44 would have been more accurate) as residing on the northeast corner of Jones and Barstow Street (519 South Barstow Street) in Eau Claire with her five children: James H. McGough, age 23, a carpenter; John F. McGough, age 20, a marble cutter for W. F. Cook (a next door neighbor); Rosa McGough, age 19, at home; Maggie McGough, age 17, at school; Hugh McGough, age 15, at school. Patrick Fitzpatrick, a laborer and Catherine's brother, is listed as a boarder in the house. Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough continued to live in this house at 519 South Barstow Street until her death on July 16, 1891.
The collections of the L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire contains many references to McGoughs and McGues. A "Simple Search" of McGough and McGue will bring up many references to directories and photographs in addition to those mentioned in this article.
The Eau Claire Directory, 1887¬88, shows Kate McGough (widow James H) as residing at 519 South Barstow. Surely this should have been "widow of John." (See also: Directories: 1884 Eau Claire City Directory, Eau Claire Co., WI—Surnames M - O on Ancestry.com.).
R. L. Polk & Co's Eau Claire city directory 1893¬94 lists at page 218: McGough Hugh, carp McDonough Mnfg Co., res 519 S Barstow.
R. L. Polk & Co's Eau Claire city directory 1895¬96 lists at page 225: McGough Hugh, mach. opr McDonough Mnfg Co, res 519 S. Barstow.
The Eau Claire City Directory of 1900 lists at page 236: McGue, Hugh, patternmakr McDonogh Mnfg Co, res 519 S Barstow.
The Diretory of the City of Eau Claire City 1903¬1904 lists, at page 179: McGough Hugh, foreman, McDonough Mfg Co, res 202 Randall.
Catherine McGough died on July 16, 1891. The Eau Claire Weekly Free Press for that day reported:
Death of an Old Resident
Mrs. John McGough died at 5 o'clock this morning at her home, 519 South Barstow Street, aged 56. The cause of death was paralysis. The funeral will take place at 8 o'clock Saturday morning, at St. Patrick's church, Rev. Father Kelly officiating. The deceased was one of the oldest residents of this city and came to Eau Claire about the year 1856. Her husband died in this city twenty years ago.
In the Eau Claire City Directory, 1893–94, Hugh McGough and Patrick Fitzpatrick, a paperhanger, are shown as living in Catherine's old family home at 519 South Barstow Street.
James H. McGough (1856 or 1857–May 26,1909) spent his adult life as a mail carrier in Eau Claire. The Eau Claire Directory, 1887–88, shows James H. McGough, a mail carrier for the Post Office, residing at 502 Jones. He married Hannora Cusick (1859– April 16, 1892) who died at age 33. Hannora's obituary says there were two surviving children. The Eau Claire Evening Free Press of Saturday, April 16, 1892 reported:
Life's Journey O'er
Ms. James McGue died at her home, 1001 South Barstow street, early this morning after a brief illness. She was the wife of James McGue, the mail carrier. Two children survive. The deceased was highly esteemed by a large circle of relatives and friends in this city. Mrs. McGue was 33 years of age and was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Cusick, of Pleasant Valley. The funeral will take place Monday morning at 8 o'clock from St. Patrick's church. Two sisters of the deceased from Burlington, Iowa, and two sisters from Chicago and Shell Lake respectively, will attend the funeral. Find A Grave Memorial# 36621998.
On the following Tuesday, April 19, 1892, this note was published in the Eau Claire Evening Free Press:
Card of Thanks
Jas. H. McGue desires to hereby return to the kind friends who extended their sympathy during the illness of his late wife his sincere and heartfelt thanks and to assure them that their kindness will be remembered and appreciated.
The report of the funeral in the Eau Claire Weekly Free Press of the following Thursday, April 21, 1892, was almost the same as the Evening Free Press article of April 16, quoted above, except that the surname McGough was used instead of McGue. The decedent was identified as Mrs. Hannora McGough and the surviving husband was identified as James H. McGough.
The Eau Claire City Directory, 1893–94 shows James H. McGough, mail carrier, as residing at 1001 South Barstow Street.
James H. McGough then married Elizabeth. Here is this family's listing from the 1900 census of the 4th ward of Eau Claire:
(1900) James H. McGue, age 41, born in June, 1858, in Wisconsin, to parents born in Ireland, married 16 years, mail carrier (roll 1787, page 93). [Son of my great-grandparents, John McGough and Catherine Fitzpatrick.]
Lizzie B. McGue, age 38, born in August, 1861, in Canada, mother of 4 children, all 4 of whom were living.
Ada C. McGue, age 12, born in December, 1887, in Wisconsin, at school.
Ethel C. McGue, age 11, born in March, 1889, in Minnesota, at school.
Marshall McGue, age 8, born in October, 1891, in Wisconsin, at school. [Marshall McGough, age 20, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, was listed in the 1910 census of Ada, Boise county, Idaho, as a soldier in the United States Army stationed at Fort Boise (T-624, roll 221, page 2A, line 46). The marriage records of Eau Claire show that Marshal McGough married Frances Remlinger on June 18, 1912. Marshall Mc Gough, age 18 years and 2 months, a teamster, joined the United States Army in Eau Claire on December 13, 1912. His height is listed as 5' 3 1/2". U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798–1914 on Ancestry.com. Marshall H. McGough, age 27, born on August 4, 1889, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and residing at 611 Pine Street, Waterloo Iowa, registered for the WWI draft on June 5, 1917, in Waterloo, Black Hawk county, Iowa. He was married and employed as a traveling salesman for George A. Morrell Company of Austin, Minnesota. He stated that he had three years service as a non-commissioned member of the regular army (calvary). World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. Marshal H. McGough, age 29, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Wisconsin (sic), is listed in the 1920 census of Minneapolis (5th Ward), Hennepin county, Minnesota, employed as a commercial trader; with his wife, Frances McGough, age 36, born in Wisconsin. to parents born in New York, and no children (roll 834, page 108). The 1930 census of Seattle, King county, Washington, lists Marshall McGough, age 39, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, married at age 30, salesman of fertilizer (wholesale), with his second wife, Elsie McGough, age 29, married at age 20, born in Iowa to a father born in Missouri and a mother born in Illinois, renting a unit at 411 North 63rd Street (roll 2492, page 27A, line 48).]
Hanora McGue, age 7, born in April, 1892, in Wisconsin.
The 1905 state census shows James H. McGue, age 47, a mail carrier who was renting a house. This census says that the parents of James H. McGue were born in Pennsylvania, but the census reporting form leaves only enough space for one short entry for both parents. James' mother, Catherine Fitzpatrick, was sometimes reported to have been born near Pottsville Pennsylvania (although she was more likely born in New York), but his father, John McGough, was born in Ireland. The census further reports that James was married to Elizabeth (1862– ), age 43, that she was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and that her parents were born in Ireland and Canada. Children, as listed in the census, who were living with James H. and Elizabeth McGough in 1905 were:
Ada C. McGue (1888– ), age 17, a student, born in Wisconsin.
Ethel K. McGue (1890– ), age 15, born in Minnesota.
Marshall McGue (1891– ), age 14, born in Wisconsin.
Hanora McGue (1892– ), age 13, born in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Birth Index shows only one McGough born in Eau Claire in 1892, a child with no first name listed, whose birth date is shown as August 13, 1892. Since this date is five months after the death of her mother, this may not be a reference to Hanora McGough. April 13, however, may have been mistakenly recorded as August 13. This is a good possibility and would mean that the death of Hannora Cusick McGough on April 16, 1892, was three days after the birth of her daughter Hanora.
Although the 1905 state census shows the surnames of all the children as McGue, my guess is that Ada and Ethel were Elizabeth's children by a previous marriage, and that Marshall and Hanora were the children born of the marriage of James McGough and Hannora Cusick. Hanora Cusick's obituary says she was survived by two children. There is no indication that James H. McGough ever lived in Minnesota. Also, James H. McGough was born and died as a McGough and I have no evidence other than these censuses that he ever used the name McGue.
James H. McGough died on May 26, 1909. A note in the Directory of Eau Claire for 1910 said he was 56 years old, but in fact he was probably only 51 or 52—based on the birth date of June, 1858, given in the 1900 census. The interment records of St. Patrick's church in Eau Claire show that James McGough died of diabetes on May 27, 1909, at the age of 52.
Here are articles from the Eau Claire Leader of May 28, 1909, and May 29, 1909:
"Death of James McGough
"Mr. James H. McGough, 314 Gray Street, died Wednesday night at the Montgomery Hospital after a long and lingering illness of over six months, the cause of death being heart and kidney trouble.
"The date of the funeral has not yet been decided but will be held from the home of a brother, Hugh McGough, Mappa Street. The deceased is survived by a wife and two children. He was for many years and up to to the time of his last illness a member of the mail carrier force."
5/29/09 "The burial of the late James H. McGough will take place this morning from the residence of his brother, Hugh McGough, at 8:30. Services will be held at St. Patrick's church, the Rev. Dunne officiating. Interment will be in the Catholic Cemetery." Find A Grave Memorial# 36622083.
John Francis McGough (March 15, 1859–May 20, 1896) was the second son of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough. John McGue, a marble cutter for W. F. Cook, is shown as residing at the northeast corner of Barstow and Jones, at the same address as Catherine McGough, in the Eau Claire City Directory 1880. Presumably, they were mother and son but the difference in the spelling of their surnames in the same directory is a puzzlement: McGough for the mother and McGue for the son. The Eau Claire Directory, 1887–88 shows John F. McGough, a driver for American Express Co., as residing at 519 South Barstow Street with a "Kate" McGough, surely his mother. In February of 1888, J. F. McGue signed as a witness to the signature of Margaret McGue, presumably his sister, in the probate in Eau Claire of the estate of Margaret Fitzpatrick, Catherine's mother and John Francis' great-grandmother.
John Francis McGough married Margaret Naughtin in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 30, 1890. The marriage is recorded as between John F. McGue and Maggie R. Naughton. Minnesota, Marriages Index, 1849–1950, on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number 1314518). Their daughter Helen was born on October 22, 1892, in St. Paul and christened on November 16, 1892 (according to the IGI, which lists the surname as Mc Gough or Mc Gue), and their son Paul J. McGough was born on June 13, 1895. John Francis McGough and Margaret Naughtin McGough raised their family in St. Paul (Ramsey county) Minnesota - until John's untimely death on March 30, 1896, at the age of 37.
The 1870 census of the village of Mauston, Juneau county, Wisconsin, lists John's wife-to-be, Margaret E. Naughtin, age 4, born in Wisconsin, the 6th of 7 children of Thomas P. Naughtin, age 39, born in Ireland, a grocer, and Bridget Naughtin, age 39, born in Ireland (roll M593_1720, page 49B; Family History Library Film 553219 - indexed by Ancestry.com as Naughten). The oldest son, John, age 15, is the only child listed as born in Ohio. (He was born on June 24, 1854, in Zanesville, Ohio; came west with his parents to Madison, Wisconsin in 1855; moved with them to Mauston in 1857; completed courses at St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, and was ordained a priest on June 25, 1882. In 1895, the Rev. John M. Naughtin was appointed pastor of St. Raphael's Parish in Madison, Wisconsin. The Catholic Church in Wisconsin (1895–1898), page 460.) The younger 6 children, ages 13 through 6 months, are all listed as born in Wisconsin. In the 1880 census, Margaret is listed as age 14, living in the same village with the same parents (roll 1431, page 442B; Family History Film 1255431). Two other daughters living in the home were Bridget, age 20; and Anna, age 10. On March 1, 1886, Thomas P. Naughtin was appointed postmaster of Mauston, Juneau county, Wisconsin (U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832–1971, on Ancestry.com.) T. P. Naughtin died in Juneau county, Wisconsin, on April 22, 1888. Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907, on Ancestry.com.
The 1860 census of Mauston, Juneau county, Wisconsin, lists T. P. Naughton, age 29, born in Ireland, a hotel keeper, with his wife, Bridget, age 29, and 4 children. Living next door were probably two older brothers, both born in Ireland, and both stone masons: John Naughton, age 40 (with wife, Rose, age 1, born in Ireland, and two children ages 4 and 1, both born in Wisconsin.), and Michael Naughton, age 43 (roll M653_1414, page 923; Family History Library Film 805414).
The 1890 St. Paul City Directory lists, under Naughton, three of the Naughtin sisters living together:
Annie, clerk, American Manufacturing Company, boards 196 Glencoe.
Bridget, residence, 196 Glencoe.
Miss Maggie, boards 196 Glencoe.
The same directory lists McGue, John T., messenger, boards 114 East Colorado.
An 1895 Minnesota state census (enumerated by Edward Lee dated June 12, 1895) of St. Paul (ward 1, 11th precinct), Ramsey county, Minnesota lists John McGue, age 33, born in Wisconsin, a resident of Minnesota for 7 years and of the enumeration district for 2 years, an express messenger, at 361 Jenks, 2nd floor; living with his wife, Maggie McGue, age 29, born in Wisconsin; and daughter, Helen McGue, age 2, born in Minnesota (roll V290_84, line 14).
There is a later page of the same census (enumerated by William P. O'Brien dated June 30, 1895) also of St. Paul (ward 1, 11th precinct), Ramsey county, Minnesota, that lists John F. McGue, age 35, born in Wisconsin, a resident of Minnesota for 7 years, and of the enumeration district for 2 years, an express messenger, living at 361 Jenks Street. A line is drawn through the entry for John McGue (probably to prevent double counting), but immediately above is an entry, with no line drawn through it, for Paul McGue, age 2 months (roll V290_84, line 5).
John Francis McGough died on May 30, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (The records of Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul give the date of death as May 20, 1896. Find A Grave Memorial# 33887538.) Here is a death notice of John McGue from the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, May 31, 1896 (page 7):
"Death of John McGue
"John McGue, age thirty-six, died at this home in St. Paul at 1:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The deceased was a former resident of Eau Claire and was a brother of Hugh and James McGue of this city. A wife and two children survive Mr. McGue. He was for many years connected with the American Express Company. The remains will be interred in St. Paul on Monday."
The St. Paul City Directory of 1897, on page 893, has this entry: "McGue, John F. died May, 30, 1896 - age 36."
His widow was living with and acting as housekeeper for her brother, John Naughtin, a Catholic priest, in Madison, Wisconsin, when the 1900 census was taken. In 1895, the Rev. John M. Naughtin had been appointed the parish priest of St. Raphael's Catholic church in Madison. The 1900 census listing of Margaret is under McGue:
WI - Dane County
Madison City, 4th Ward
(1900) Mrs. Margaret McGue, age 34 (sister of John Naughtin), born in December, 1865, in Wisconsin, to parents born in Ireland, a widow, mother of 2 children, 2 children living, housekeeper, living in the home of her brother, Rev. John Naughtin, age 45, born in June, 1854, in Ohio, to parents born in Ireland, a Catholic priest (roll 1783, page 56).
Helen McGue, age 7 (niece of John Naughtin), born in October, 1892, in Minnesota, to parents born in Wisconsin.
Paul McGue, age 5 (nephew of John Naughtin), born in June, 1894 (should be 1895), in Minnesota, to parents born in Wisconsin. [Born in St. Paul on June 13, 1895. Paul J. McGough died on October 30, 1980, in Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota. His mother's name was listed as Naughton. Minnesota Death Index, 1908–2002 on Ancestry.com.]
Margaret E. McGough, age 44, a widow, mother of 4 children, three of whom were living, born in Wisconsin, owner of her home free of a mortgage, is shown by the 1910 census of precinct 9 of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota (roll 718, page 225), living on Genesee Street with her daughter, Helen M. McGough, age 17, born in Minnesota to a father born in Scotland (?) and a mother born in Wisconsin; and son Paul McGough, age 15, born in Minnesota to a father born in Scotland (?) and a mother born in Wisconsin. John Francis McGough, the father of Helen and Paul, is sown by all other records to have been born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and I have no idea where the Scotland as his place of birth came from.
A Lenora McGough, age 14, born in Wisconsin, whose father and mother were both born in Wisconsin, was listed by the 1910 census of the 7th Ward of St. Paul in the home on Colorado Street of John and Margaret McCarthy, ages 49 and 47, and listed as a niece. John McCarthy was born in Illinois (the 1920 census says Indiana); Margaret in Wisconsin. John McCarthy was a mail clerk for the US government. They had been married 20 years and had had one child who was also living with them, Frederick McCarthy, age 19, born in Minnesota (roll: T624_719, page 2A; FHL microfilm 1374732). Margaret McCarthy was Margaret (Maggie) Evelyn McGough, the fourth child and second daughter of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough. Marriage Record Details on the website of the Wisconsin Historical Society show that Margaret McGue was married to John McCarthy in Eau Claire county on September 11, 1889. The Lenora McGough living with them in 1910 and listed as a niece may have been the daughter of Margaret McGough's older brother, John McGough, and Margaret Naughtin. (The 1910 census reports that Margaret Naughtin McGue was the mother of 4 children, 3 living.)
Margaret Naughtin McGough, age 54, a widow, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland, is shown by the 1920 census of precinct 14 of the city of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota (roll 854, page 182), living with her son, Paul J. McGough, age 25, born in Minnesota, a claims agent for the street railway, and her daughter, Helen McGough, age 27, born in Minnesota, a teacher in the public schools.
The son of John Francis McGough/McGue and Margaret Naughtin, Paul John McGough (christened as Paul Naughtin McGough) was born in St. Paul on June 13, 1895 (Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840–1980 on Ancestry.com) and died on October 20, 1980, in Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota. His death certificate gives his mother's maiden name as Naughton. Paul's wife, Alice McGough, was born on June 19, 1899, and died in Minneapolis in September 7, 1984. (Her death certificate gives her mother's maiden name as Lyons.) Paul McGough became a noted lawyer, a partner in the prominent Minneapolis law firm of Faegre and Benson, and served as president of the International Association of Insurance Counsel in 1946 and 1947. He introduced me to that organization, now known as the International Association of Defense Counsel, in 1969. Paul John McGough, with a birth date of June 13, 1896, and an address of 1255 Goodrich, is on The Honor Roll of Ramsey County Minnesota—A Record of Ramsey County's Contribution To the Winning of the Great War by J. K. Jennings. Paul McGough died in St. Paul on October 20, 1980 (Minnesota, Death Index, 1908–2002, on Ancestry.com).
The 1910 census of St. Paul lists this family at 216 Genesee:
(1910) Margaret E. McGough (head), age 44, widow, mother of 4 children, 3 living, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin; no occupation; owner of home free of a mortgage (roll T624_718, page 7A; FHL microfilm 1374731).
Helen M. McGough (daughter), age 17, single, born in Minnesota to a father born in Scotland (?) and a mother born in Wisconsin, no occupation. [Helen M. McGough was born in St. Paul on October 22, 1892, to John McGough and Margaret McGough. Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840–1980, on Ancestry.com.]
Paul McGough (son), age 15, single, born in Minnesota to a father born in Scotland (?) and a mother born in Wisconsin, no occupation.
Paul J. McGough registered for the World War I the draft in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 5, 1917. His registration card indicates his home address as 1255 Goodrich, St. Paul; his birth date as June 13, 1895, in St. Paul; his occupation as a clerk for the Northern Pacific Railway in the "como (locomotive ?) shops." He was single with a mother who was dependent upon him. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com.
Paul McGough enlisted in the U. S. Army on September 21, 1917, and was released on January 13, 1919. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850–2010 on Ancestry.com.
The 1920 census of St. Paul lists this family at 1255 Goodrich:
(1920) Mrs. Margaret McGough (head), owner of house, age 54, widow, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland, with "none" written in the column for occupation (roll T625_854, page 14A).
Paul J. McGough (son), age 25, single, born in Minnesota to parents born in Wisconsin, claim agent, street railway.
Helen McGough (daughter), age 27, single, born in Minnesota to parents born in Wisconsin, teacher, public school.
Paul McGough married Alice J. Rickert in the last half of 1926 or in 1927. Alice J. Richter was the daughter of William E. and Mary T. Lyons, who were married in St. Paul on July 18, 1894. Minnesota, Marriage Index, 1849–1950, on Ancestry.com. Their family is listed this way in the 1905 Minnesota state census of St. Paul:
(1905) William E. Rickert, at 597 Miss street, age 32, born in Pennsylvania to parents born in Pennsylvania (10 years in Minnesota) 4 year resident of enumeration district, engineer.
Mary Rickert, age 28, born in St. Paul (28 years in Minnesota) 4 year resident of enumeration district.
Marie Rickert, age 9, born in St. Paul, 4 year resident of enumeration district. [Marie Irene Rickert, later usually called Irene. She is probably the unnamed female child that Minnesota records show was born to Wilhelm and Mary Rickert on December 8, 1895, in St. Paul. Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840–1980, on Ancestry.com]
Alice J. Rickert, age 6, born in St. Paul, 4 year resident of enumeration district.
The 1908 city directory of St. Paul, at page 1413, lists William E. Rickert, engineer G N. Rwy, at 597 Miss. The 1909 directory, lists him at the same address as William C. Rickert, a fireman for the Great Northern Raiway.The 1911 city directory of St. Paul. at page 1417, lists William E. Rickert, engineer at 597 Miss.
Here is the listing of the family in the 1920 census of St. Paul:
(1920) William Rickert, age 45, born in Pennsylvania, to a father born in Germany and a mother born in Ireland, engineer for a steam railway, living at 1233 Dayton Avenue (roll T625_854, page 6B).
Mary Rickert (wife), age 42, born in Minnesota, to parents born in Ireland.
Irene Rickert (daughter), age 22, single, born in Minnesota, stenographer in a doctor's office. [Marie Irene]
Ellen Rickert (daughter), age 19, single, born in Minnesota, stenographer in a fur store (?).
I could not find a listing for Alice Rickert in the 1920 federal census of Minnesota, but St. Paul city directories indicate that Annie was living with her parents at this time. In the 1920 city directory of St. Paul, at page 1205, Alice J. Rickert is listed at the home address of her father, along with her sister, Marie Irene, and her father. Here are the listings:
Rickert Alice J clk E Albrecht & Son b 1233 Dayton av
Rickert M Irene stenog O H Round b 1233 Dayton av
Rickert Wm eng G N Shops r 1233 Dayton ave
The 1921 St. Paul city directory as the same listings, except Irene is listed as a clerk - with no further description. The three are at the same address in the 1922 directory, which lists Alice as a book keeper, and Irene as a clerk at the Federal Land Bank. Alice is not listed in the 1923, 1924,, 1925, 1926,1927, and 1928 directories, but the listings for Irene and William are substantially the same as 1922. In the 1929 directory, there is no entry for Irene, but William E. Rickert is once again listed as an engineer with a residence at 1233 Dayton. In the 1930 census of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Irene M. Rickert, age 26, single, born in Minnesota, a clerk for an investment company, is listed as living with her parents, William E. Rickert, age 60, born in Pennsylvania, an engineer for a steam railroad, and Mary F. Rickert, age 48, born in Minnesota, at 3514 Harriett Avenue in Minneapolis.
The 1930 census of St. Paul city, Ramsey county, Minnesota, lists Paul McGough, age 34, married at age 27, born in Minnesota, to parents born in Wisconsin, owner of real estate worth $4500 at 1255 Goodrich Avenue, an attorney and a general partner in a law firm; with his wife, Alice R. [Rickert] McGough, age 30, born in Minnesota, to a father born in Minnesota and a mother born in Wisconsin, and two children: Mary Alice McGough, age 6, born in Minnesota, and Paul J. McGough, age 3 years and 11 months, born in Minnesota (roll 1118, page 9B; FHL microfilm 2340853). The son, also Paul J. McGough, was born on March 9, 1927, and died on December 31, 1992, in Hennepin county, Minnesota.
The 1940 census of St. Paul lists this family in a home valued at $15,000 at 5121 Irving Avenue:
(1940) Paul J. McGough, age 44, born in Minnesota, lived in the same house on April 1, 1935, lawyer, private practice (roll T627_1993, page 11B).
Alice R. McGough (wife), age 40, born in Minnesota.
Mary Alice McGough (daughter), age 16, born in Minnesota.
Paul J. McGough, Jr. (son), age 13, born in Minnesota.
Patricia Ann McGough (daughter), age 6, born in Minnesota.
Florina Peterson (servant), age 27, single, born in Minnesota to parents born in New York, lived in New York on April 1, 1935, maid, private home.
Rose McGough (1861–1883), the third child and first daughter of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, was married in Eau Claire on October 11, 1880, to John Quigg, a blacksmith born in Canada. She died about three years after her marriage. The Latin version of Rose, Rosa, would be the name shown in the church records of her baptism, and she is sometimes shown as Rosa in family records. The marriage records refer to her as Rose McGough. She appears as Rose McGough in the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Marriage Index and Brides of Eau Claire Co., Wis., 1854–1929 (Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, 1995). She died in 1883 at the age of 22.
John Quigg apparently remarried in about 1886, three years after the death of Rose. The 1880 census of the city of Eau Claire lists John Quigg; age 23, a blacksmith, born in Canada to parents born in Ireland, living in the home of his brother, James Quigg, age 33, a laborer, also born in Canada, and his wife, Ellen (roll 1425, page 432D; Family History Film 1255425). In the 1900 census of Eau Claire, John Quigg is listed as boarding with his brother, James C. Quigg, age 54, married 23 years, born in August, 1845, Canada to parents born in Ireland, the proprietor of a boarding house and livery, and his wife, Ellen, age 49, born in Illinois to parents born in Ireland. John Quigg, age 43, born in August, 1856, in Canada, is listed as having been married for 14 years (but no wife is living with him), and employed as a blacksmith in a foundry. John is listed as having immigrated to the United states in 1876 and as having spent 24 years in the United States (roll 1788, page 1A; FHL microfilm 1241788).
Margaret (Maggie) Evelyn McGough (1863–) was the fourth child and second daughter of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough. The Eau Claire Directory, 1887–88 shows Maggie J. McGue, a clerk for Alfred Kahn, as residing at 519 South Barstow Street, with her mother "Kate." Margaret McGue, the granddaughter of Margaret Fitzpatrick, and the daughter of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, was left $100.00 by her grandmother in a will signed on June 3, 1884. After Margaret Fitzpatrick died, her will was probated. Margaret McGue signed documents in the estate as Margaret McGue. The receipt for $100.00 was signed in February 1888. She married John McCarthy, a US mail agent residing in St. Paul, in a Catholic ceremony in Eau Claire on September 11, 1889. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Marriage Index shows the marriage of Margaret McGue in Eau Claire on September 11, 1889. The bride's name is recorded in Brides of Eau Claire Co., Wis., 1854–1928 (Eau Claire Genealogical Research Society) as Margaret Evelyn McGough. (The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Marriage Index also shows the marriage of a Margaret E. McGough in Eau Claire on February 12, 1881, but this is a different Margaret E. McGough, the daughter of Michael McGough and Roseanna (Rose) Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. That family is covered in a separate section of this website.)
The 1900 census of the 6th Ward of the city of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota (roll 784, page 34) lists J. (John) McCarthy, age 39, born in June, 1860, in Illinois, to parents born in Ireland, mail clerk, who owned his home free of a mortgage; living with his wife of 12 years, Margaret McCarthy, age 36, born in Wisconsin in March of 1864, mother of one son who was living with them, (Frederick) whose name is not legible on the census return, age 9, born in December, 1889 (?), in Minnesota, at school.
Lenora McGough, 14 years old, possibly the daughter of Margaret's older brother, John, was living with Margaret and her husband, John McCarthy, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1910. See above.
Hugh McGough (June 16, 1865–November 28, 1952) was my grandfather and the last of the children of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough. The Eau Claire Directory, 1887–88 shows J. Hugh McGue, a machinist for the Eau Claire Lumber Co., as residing at 519 South Barstow Street, with his mother "Kate." Hugh McGough was mustered into Company E of the Wisconsin 3rd Infantry, a state militia unit known as Griffin Rifles as a private on April 20, 1888. History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin—Past and Present, edited by Judge William F. Bailey (1914 C. F. Cooper & Co. Chicago), chapter 14, at page 209. The Eau Claire City Directory of 1888 and 1889 listed Hugh McGue as a machine hand at Eau Claire Sash & Door Company, who boarded at 519 South Barstow Street. The same directory listed Hugh McGough, a laborer, residing at "n s Jones 1 e of Barstow." The Eau Claire City of Directory of 1891–1892 lists Hugh McGough, a clerk at A. Frederickson, with the note: "boards 625 Union." This was a different Hugh McGough, Hugh Francis McGough (August 3, 1874–December 23, 1898), the son of John Joseph McGough and Rosanna Mooney McGough, who was living with his parents and was listed as age 5 in the 1880 census of Eau Claire).The Eau Claire City Directory, 1893–94 shows Hugh McGough, a carpenter at McDonough Manufacturing Company, residing at 519 South Barstow. The roster of employees at McDonough Manufacturing Company shows Hugh McGough as a machinist in 1891 and 1892, and a carpenter in 1893. The Directory of Eau Claire for 1910 shows Hugh McGough, a superintendent at McDonough Manufacturing Company, residing at 202 Randall Street.
My grandfather Hugh McGough spent his working life with McDonough Manufacturing Company. The company is noted in Selected Articles from Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond' published by the Eau Claire Leader Telegram, 1976, under the title First industries here based on wood products:
"In 1863 Frank McDonough who had learned the trade of blacksmith and carpentry became a millwright and later superintendent of the Eau Claire Lumber Co.
"Within a few years he started a plant above the Eau Claire River for the purpose of manufacturing of sawmill machinery. He later brought in Emmett Horan and Peter John Holm as associates and by 1888 they were producing products that were sold in all sections of the country and abroad. In 1892 the firm employed 60 men. It is still in operation today and produces sawmill equipment and grinders."
My grandfather apparently followed Frank McDonough from Eau Claire Lumber Company to McDonough's new business. McDonough Manufacturing Company remains in business today and has a website. There is a biography of Frank McDonough. in The History of Eau Claire County, 1914, Past & Present, pages 787–788.
Hugh McGough married Mary Ann Campbell in Eau Claire on July 2, 1890. Here is the listing for this family in the 1900 census of Eau Claire:
(1900) Hugh McGue, age 34, born in June, 1865, in Wisconsin, to parents born in Ireland, married 9 years, carpenter, at 519 South Barstow street (roll 1787, page 79). [This is my grandfather, Hugh McGough.]
Mary McGue, age 29, born in January, 1871, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland, mother of 5 children, 5 of whom were living. [This is my grandmother, Mary Ann Campbell McGough.]
Charles McGue, age 9, in April, 1891, born in Wisconsin at school. [Charles John McGough, age 26, who was born in Eau Claire on April 26, 1891, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on June 5, 1917. He was single and employed as a traveling auditor by P. B. Poole, 1513 Merchant Bank Building, St. Paul, Minnesota. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. Charles J. McGough, who was born on April 26, 1891, and whose mother's maiden name was Campbell, died in Ramsey county, Minnesota, on February 13, 1963. Minnesota Death Index, 1908–2002 on Ancestry.com. There is a Charles J. McGough on the U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798–1940, on Ancestry.com. He enlisted as a private on April 22, 1918, was mustered in in January of 1919, attached to the Rifle Range Detachment at the Marine Barracks at Paris Island, South Carolina, and discharged as a corporal on January 31, 1919.]
Grace McGue, age 7, born in October, 1893, in Wisconsin at school.
Edmund McGue, age 5, born in August, 1894, in Wisconsin in August, 1894, at school. [Edmund McGough died in Hennepin county, Minnesota, on May 6, 1938. Minnesota Death Index, 1908–2002 on Ancestry.com; born in September, 1896, in Wisconsin.
Elizabeth M. McGue, age 1, born in August, 1898, in Wisconsin.
[Coming attraction: Thomas Richard McGough, my father, was born on January 3, 1901.]
Hugh McGough, age 44, born in Wisconsin, is listed in the Wisconsin census of 1910 as living at 202 Randall Street in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. His father was born in Ireland his mother in Pennsylvania. He was living with Mary, his wife of 19 years, mother of 9 children, 8 of whom were living, whose father was born in Canada and whose mother was born in Ireland. Living with them were eight children, all of whom were born in Wisconsin: Charles J., 18; Grace, 17; Edmund, 15; Justin, 13; Elizabeth, 11; Richard, 9; Rose, 5; and Francis Eugene (erroneously listed as female). Hugh's employment is listed as a superintendent at a manufacturing plant. Hugh, Mary, and their children Charles, Grace, Edmund, Justin, and Elizabeth M., are all listed as McGues in the 1900 census and as living at 509 South Barstow Street. In the 1900 census, Hugh's occupation is shown as "carpenter."
Here is the listing in the 1930 census of Eau Claire:
(1930) Hugh McGough, age 62, married at age 22, owner of a home worth $3000 at 202 Randall Street, born in Wisconsin, to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in New York, a superintendent in the machinery business (roll 2571, page 2B)
Mary McGough, age 59, married at age 19, born in Canada (English) to a father born in Canada (English) and a mother born in Ireland, naturalized.
George McGough (son), age 18, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada (English), a clerk in a drug store.
Here is the listing in the 1940 census of Eau Claire (roll T627_4477, page 1B):
(1940) Hugh McGough, age 74, owner of a house worth $3000 at 202 Randall Street, born in Wisconsin, 6th grade education, in the same house on April 1, 1935, neither working nor seeking employment.
Mary A. McGough, age 69, born in Canada, 8th grade education, in the same house on April 1, 1935, neither working nor seeking employment.
George McGough (son), age 27, single, born in Wisconsin, 4 years of college, working as a pharmacist in a retail drug store.
Hugh and Mary's daughter, Rose McGough, was listed in the 1930 census of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Wisconsin, as Rose G. McGough, age 25, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada, a teacher in a public school (roll 2578, page 3B). Their son Francis E. McGough was listed in the 1930 census of Lake township, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, as age 21, single, a student at St. Francis' Seminary, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada-French (roll 2584, page 3A).
My cousin, Rosemary Dolmage, tells me that Hugh McGough was "forced into early retirement (from McDonough Manufacturing Company) due to blindness caused by cataracts on his eyes. It was only after total blindness, and at the age of 65, that that one of my grandfather's eyes was operated on and part of his vision restored."
Hugh McGough died in Eau Claire on or about November 18, 1952, at the age of 87.
On July 2, 1890, in Eau Claire, Hugh McGough married Mary Ann Campbell, who was born in Levis, Quebec, Canada, on January 4, 1871, and died in Eau Claire on July 16, 1946.
My grandmother's father was Charles Campbell, born on June 1, 1842 in Liverpool, Quebec. (Census data of Eau Claire indicates he was born in January of 1844.) He died in Eau Claire on May 15, 1922. His gravestone in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire shows his life span as 1840–1922. Mary Ann Campbell's mother was Elizabeth Mahar (or Meagher) Campbell who was born in county Tipperary, Ireland in 1845. (Census returns of Eau Claire indicate she was born in August, 1849.) She died in Eau Claire on June 15, 1928. Her gravestone in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire, shows a life span of 1845–1928. Charles and Elizabeth Campbell moved from Levis, Quebec to Eau Claire in about 1883, with their children, Mary Ann Campbell, 10; Margaret Campbell, 8 (who married Joseph Reilly in Eau Claire on January 23, 1893, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928); Ellen Campbell, 6; Michael Campbell, 4; and Anne Campbell, 1. Some sources say that their youngest child, Charles Campbell, was born in Eau Claire, but the 1900 census of Eau Claire says that he was born in Canada in February of 1883. Buried next to Charles and Betty Campbell in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire is their youngest daughter, Anne Campbell, 1880–1972.
The 1865 registry of Saint Romuald - d'Etchemin, Levis county, Quebec, lists a marriage of Charles Campbell and Elizabeth Meagher in a Catholic ceremony (M. 16, Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1967 > Saint > St-Romuald > on Ancestry.com., page 30 of the 1865 registry of St. Romuald - d"Etcheman). If I make out the French correctly, Elizabeth's parents were Richard Meagher and Nancy Powers. The record originated in a Catholic parish.
The Charles Campbell family is listed in the 1900 census of Eau Claire (9th ward) as follows:
(1900) Charles Campbell, age 56, born in January, 1844, in Canada, to parents born in Ireland (?), married 32 years, emigrated in 1883, 17 years in the US, day laborer, owned his home free of a mortgage, at 405 Mappa Street. [The 1920 census data indicates that the year of emigration from Canada was 1886.]
Elizabeth Campbell (wife), age 51, born in August, 1849, in Ireland, married 32 years, mother of 7 children, 7 living, emigrated in 1855, 45 years in the US. [The year of emigration is probably the year Elizabeth moved from Ireland to Canada. The data in the 1920 census indicates she came from Canada to the US with her husband in 1886.]
Thomas Campbell (son), age 29, single, born in January, 1871, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland, cook.
Nellie Campbell (daughter), age 24, single, born in July, 1875, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland, school teacher. [Ellen Campbell married John McKinnon in Eau Claire on June 30, 1903, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928.]
Mike Campbell (son), age 21, single, born in December, 1878, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland, day laborer. [A Michael Campbell married Signa Jacobson in Eau Claire on January 13, 1913, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928.]
Anne Campbell (daughter), age 18, single, born in July, 1880, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland. [In 1879, M. Anne Elisabeth Campbell, daughter of Charles Campbell and Elizabeth Campbell, was baptized a Catholic in Lévis (Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire). Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1967 on Ancestry.com.]
Charles Campbell (son), age 17, single, born in February, 1883, in Canada, to a father born in Canada and mother born in Ireland, at school. [Charles Francois Campbell, son of Charles Campbell and Elizabeth Meagher, was baptized a Catholic in 1882 in Lévis (Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire). Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1967 on Ancestry.com.]
In the 1920 census of Eau Claire, Charles and Elizabeth Campbell, still on Mappa Street, are listed next to their son-in-law, Hugh McGough, and daughter Mary Ann Campbell McGough, who were at 202 Randall Street. Charles is listed as age 76, born in Canada to Irish parents, who emigrated in 1886 and was naturalized in 1888. Elizabeth is listed as age 73, born in Ireland, who emigrated in 1886. With them is their single daughter, Anna Campbell, age 35, who emigrated in 1886. No occupation was listed for Anna. The house on Mappa Street is unnumbered in the census, but the next house (occupied by Carl W. Shogren and his family) was numbered 406, and the next two houses 410 and 412. In the 1900 census, the address of Charles Campbell was given as 405 Mappa Street.
All of the ten children of Hugh and Mary Ann Campbell McGough were born in Eau Claire and spent their early years at the family home at 202 Randall Street. Their children were:
Charles John McGough (April 26, 1891–February 13, 1963), who married Ruth Arlene Whitman in Duluth, Minnesota in March, 1919, and died in St. Paul, Minnesota. Charles and Ruth had two daughters, Elizabeth (Bette) McGough (Cummins) and Mary Jane McGough (Jenness). Charles was named after his mother's, Mary Ann Campbell's, father Charles Campbell—a break with the supposed traditional Irish pattern of naming the first son after his father's father. Charles McGough was an executive with the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company and his recollections of the company's history are part of the business archives of the company published by Columbia University. Some of his correspondence in the Papers of George Frederick Jewett Sr., a collection of manuscript materials in the University of Idaho Library. Charles McGough is listed in the 1920 census of Sherman precinct, town of Couer d'Alene (on Forest Street), Kootenai county, Idaho (roll 291, page 197), as age 26 (?), born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada, a bookkeeper in a saw mill, who owned his home free and clear, with his wife, Ruth McGough, age 23, born in Wisconsin to a father born in New York and a mother born in Wisconsin, with one child: Mary Jane McGough, age 4 months, born in Minnesota to parents born in Wisconsin. [Charles John McGough, age 26, who was born in Eau Claire on April 26, 1891, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on June 5, 1917. He was single and employed as a traveling auditor by P. B. Poole, 1513 Merchant Bank Building, St. Paul, Minnesota. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. Charles J. McGough, who was born on April 26, 1891, and whose mother's maiden name was Campbell, died in Ramsey county, Minnesota, on February 13, 1963. Minnesota Death Index, 1908–2002 on Ancestry.com. There is a Charles J. McGough on the U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798–1940, on Ancestry.com. He enlisted as a private on April 22, 1918, was mustered in on January of 1919, attached to the Rifle Range Detachment at the Marine Barracks at Paris Island, South Carolina, and discharged as a corporal on January 31, 1919.] This family is listed in the 1930 census of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota: Charles J. McGough, age 37, married at age 26, secretary of a wholesale lumber company; Ruth A. McGough, age 33, married at age 21; Mary A. McGough, age 10, daughter, born in Minnesota; and Elizabeth R. McGough, age 6, daughter, born in Idaho (roll 1119, page 2B).
Grace Catherine McGough (October 25, 1892–October 29, 1972) (The 1900 census lists the month of her birth as October, 1893; the searchable website of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries says that Grace Burns, a widow, died at the age of 80 on October 29, 1972, and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.) Grace married James Francis Burns in Eau Claire on March 3, 1919. Burns was a Captain in the Army Field Artillery and native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The wedding was reported at page 8 of the Wednesday, March 5, 1919, edition of the Gazette of Stevens Point (available in the Historical Newspaper section of Ancestry.com):
A military wedding of much interest to Stevens Point people took place at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Eau Claire at 7 o'clock Monday morning, when James F. Burns, captain in the United States Army and son of Mrs. J. E. Burns of this city, took for his bride Miss Grace McGough, a member of a prominent family of Eau Claire.
The bride wore a suit of khaki serge, the goods for which was brought back from France by Capt. Burns. She wore a black picture hat and a corsage bouquet of forgetmenots. Her sister, Miss Elizabeth McGough, was bridesmaid and wore a blue suit and corsage bouquet. Capt. Burns was in uniform, as was also his brother, Charles T. Burns, who was recently discharged from the military service and who served as best man. Only immediate relatives and close friends attended the ceremony.
A wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McGough, 202 Randall street, to a small company. Capt. and Mrs. Burns left Eau Claire the same forenoon and arrived in Stevens Point Monday afternoon. This was Capt. Burns' first visit to Stevens Point since his return from abroad and during his stay here he greeted numerous friends. He and his bride left Tuesday afternoon for Milwaukee and from there will go to Gary, Ind., where they will reside for the present, doing light housekeeping. Capt. Burns' mother, his sister, Miss Elizabeth, and his brother Charles, are all temporarily located at Gary, where Miss Elizabeth is a teacher in the public schools.
Capt. Burns, who grew to manhood in this city and attended the local Normal school, was in the employ of the Wisconsin Telephone Co. at Eau Claire for several years before entering the military service. He attended the first officers' training school at Fort Sheridan, Ill., and was commissioned a captain in field artillery. He was subsequently assigned to the famous Rainbow Division and arrived in France late in the year 1917. He took part in various engagements in which the division participated until he was seriously injured last July in the Chateau Thierry sector. Thereafter for several months he underwent hospital treatment and finally was assigned to light duty, which ended with his return home. Though nominally a patient at the army hospital at Fort Sheridan, and still in the service, he has been spending only little of his time at that army post and is scheduled for an early formal discharge. It is probable he will again enter the employ of the Wisconsin Telephone Co. in the near future.
It is an interest coincidence that the Burns and McGough families were each represented by three sons in the military service during the late war.
The 1920 census of Milwaukee, Wisconsin lists James F. Burns, age 31, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, a trouble man for the telephone company, and his wife, Grace Burns, age 27, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada (French), living at 1512 Cedar Street in the home of James' uncle, Joseph Burns, age 55, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Ireland, a telegraph operator for a railroad; and Joseph's wife, Julia, age 50, born in Michigan (roll T625_1998, page 12A).
James and Grace had four children, James Francis Burns Jr., Mary Louise Burns (Conley), Patricia Burns (Fay) and Paul Richard Burns. See: Brides and Grooms Index. [Paul Richard Burns, was born on August 2, 1931, and died on March 5, 1992. His mother's maiden name was McGough. Minnesota Death Index, 1908–2002 on Ancestry.com.] Grace Burns died in Milwaukee on October 1, 1972.
James Francis Burns was born in Portage county, Wisconsin, on July 7, 1888. Wisconsin Births, 1820–1907, on Ancestry.com. The 1910 census of Stevens Point, Portage county, Wisconsin, lists James F. Burns, age 21, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, a bookkeeper for a railroad, living with his widowed mother, Mary L. Burns, age 40, mother of 6 children, 4 of whom were living. With them were three of James' younger brother and sisters, and James' grandfather, Frank F. Russell, age 84, a widower born in Canada (roll T624_1723, page 12B). (Mary L. Burns is called Louise Burns in the 1905 Wisconsin state census of Portage county.) James Francis Burns, age 31, single, who was living at 503 Babcock, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and who was born in Junction City, Wisconsin, on July 7, 1888, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on June 5, 1917. He was employed by the Wisconsin Telephone Company as a chief clerk and maintenance manager. He had served about one year as a private in the infantry in the Washington N. P. (N.G. ?; there are notes on military service that I cannot interpret.)
Burns was on active duty as a Captain by September, 1917. Here is an excerpt from "All the way with the boys of the 329th Field Artillery:"
During the month of September, 1917, when the seemingly victorious Huns were making their attacks on churches, hospitals and relief ships, a contingent of two hundred men was assembled in Detroit, Michigan, and given one of the greatest send-offs ever tendered a group of men. "And why all this cheering and celebrating?" one asked. Detroit was sending her first selection of manly youths to the colors to join in the fight for Democracy and Humanity. From these two hundred men that climbed the old hill at Custer through mud and with perspiration streaming from their brows, sixteen were sifted out and assigned to Battery E, 329th Field Artillery.
Upon their arrival at their new home they found Captain James F. Burns in command. ... Lectures on military courtesies and conduct in general were delivered by Captain Burns, all of which was strange to us. ... Just when general training was established as the routine of the day, Captain Burns was taken from our ranks and assigned to the Rainbow Division and Captain Carlton L. Wheeler was substituted." (page 126)
See also: Sidney D. Light's WWI Diary, Postcards & Letters, 329th Battery Book Accounts (American 329th Field Artillery in France), especially the page called Early Days at Camp Custer under The Barrage Book Battery E Account.
Here is part of an article on page 12 of the Wednesday, October 3, 1917, edition of the Gazette of Stevens Point:
In Rainbow Division
Two Stevens Point Young Men are with Famous Military Units on Long Island
Stevens Point is represented in the famous "Rainbow Division" of the United States army, composed of the pick of the National Guard units of the country, by two young men—Captain James Burns and Sergeant Myron Clifford. The former is a son of Mrs. Mary Burns, Normal avenue ....
Capt. Burns was in the employ of the Wisconsin Telephone Co. at Eau Claire when this country entered the war. He enrolled in the officers' training school at Fort Sheridan and was subsequently commissioned. His first assignment was to Battle Creek, Mich., where he was working with the new National Army men, but last week was transferred to the "Rainbow Division." He is with the headquarters company of the 67th Brigade Field Artillery and in charge of brigade communication.
The "Rainbow Division" is now at Camp Mills, Long Island. It is rumored that the division will start for France soon. The men are drilled to a high point of efficiency and are recognized as among "America's finest."
The Wednesday, October 31, 1917, edition of the Gazette, at page 12, noted that "The Rainbow Division, which was in training at Camp Mills, Long Island, has landed safely in France, according to work received here. In this division are two Stevens Point boys, Capt. James Burns and Sergeant James Clifford. Capt. Burns ... attended the officers' training school at Fort Sheridan."
A photograph of Captain James Burns in uniform was printed on the front page of the Gazette on Wednesday, November 7, 1917, under the heading: Capt. Burns Now in France. The accompanying article notes that the picture had been published in the October, 1917, number of the Bell Telephone News of Milwaukee.
Captain James F. Burns, with an address of 926 Normal Avenue, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is listed on the roster of the 67th Artillery Brigade, Headquarters, under the command of Brigadier General Charles P. Summerall, at page 101 of the Roster of the Rainbow Division (Forty Second), Major General Wm. A. Mann, Commanding, edited and compiled by Lieutenant Harold Stanley Johnson (1917). The roster was compiled on October 12, 1917, at Camp Mills, Mineola, Long Island, three weeks after the mobilization of the division. Chief of Staff of the Division was Colonel Douglas MacArthur of San Antonio, Texas (who, on November 10, 1918, as a Brigade er General, took command of the division). A report of the casualties of the Rainbow Division as of December 16, 1918, showed that, since arrival in France on November 1, 1917, that 90 officers and 2,563 enlisted men had been gassed. Appendix III, page 249 to The Story of the Rainbow Division by Raymond Sidney Tompkins. This book also contains a roster (without home addresses) of the Brigade and Regimental Officers of 67th Field Artillery Brigade on October 12, 1917 that contains this entry: Captain James F. Burns Attached. See: The Rainbow Division. See also: Trench Knives and Mustard Gas—With the 42nd Rainbow Division in France by Hugh S. Thompson.
Here is an article from the first page of the Gazette of Stevens Point of March 18, 1918:
Pounding the Enemy
Two Stevens Pointers, in Rainbow Division, Have Had "Baptism of Fire"
That Capt. James F. Burns and Sergeant Myron Clifford, both of whom are in artillery units of the Rainbow Division of the National Guardsmen, have had their "baptism of fire" in France is the belief of Stevens Point relatives. Capt. Burns and Sgt. Clifford arrived in France in early September and were on the same ship going over.
Three letters were recently received by members of his family from Capt. Burns, written the middle of February. From these the following passages are taken:
"I am at a different place now, billeted in an old chateau built in the time of King Henry IV. I sleep in a fine room with a great fire place. I suppose this old place could tell some wonderful tales if it could talk.
"Well I saw Paris and it sure is a great city, finer than anything I have ever seen. I was in the Invalides, Napoleon's Tomb, Champs de Elysees, Louvre, and the Land of Bohemia (the Latin quarter). Saw Capt. Guynemer's airplane, the one he was killed in. Well I saw everything I could see.
"One sees every uniform in the world here—Russian, Arab, American, French, British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, etc. Looks like a rainbow dotted with colors on the streets.
"From my window I can look out on an old sunken garden with a fountain. You should see the stairways and panels, all hand-sawed fumed oak. And the furniture—wish I could send a carload home. My horse will be along in a couple of days so will be o. k. after he gets here. I am lonesome without him.
"I am seeing a lot of the country, which of course I would not ordinarily see and which the average tourist does not see. In comparing France as I have seen it to the France that the tourist sees and writes about, it marks me laugh. Education is not being neglected even though a war is going on.
"It was quite cold last night. Our fire lasted all night in the fire place so it was real comfortable in our room this morning. I have been skipping dinner here and cooking something for myself at noon—American style baked beans, sausage, jam, coffee, etc.
"This part of France I am now in is very pretty and much more healthful than where I was located. Of course it is colder now too. I am on detached service for a short time. It is sort of tiresome as I have had nothing to do for the last week. I'd rather be working my head off.
"I could hear the roll of gunfire this afternoon. Makes one think of the rumbling of thunder just before a storm breaks. One gets used to it I suppose and doesn't mind it after a time.
"I saw Dr. Cornwall (a former Stevens Point dentist, now a lieutenant in the dental reserve corps) yesterday. Some surprise.
"The railroad trains they have in this country are great. They run like a house afire, about 70 or 80 miles an hour. They never slow down for towns, cities, curves or anything else.
"I formerly thought they would have a terrible time ever getting men in the trenches, but the closer you get to them, the more anxious you are to go in yourself. I've seen nearly every death-dealing machine made and they can do their darndest. They simply haven't got my number, so I am coming back to Stevens Point.
There are many other excerpts from letters of Captain James F. Burns in succeeding issues of the Gazette. Here is an article from page 3 of the edition of Wednesday, October 23, 1918:
The October Bell Telephone News, an illustrated magazine containing articles of special interest to the army of telephone employees, contains a reprint from the Milwaukee Sentinel about Capt. James F. Burns, oldest son of Mrs. J. E. Burns of this city. The story is given below:
Capt. James F. Burns, One Hundred and Fiftieth Field Artillery, one of the Eau Claire boys who received a captain's commission at the Fort Sheridan Training School, lies in base hospital No. 116 in France, badly shell shocked, a victim of one of the Kaiser's favorite hospital bombing expeditions. He was formerly the chief clerk to the district plant chief, Eau Claire.
Captain Burns writes a friend here that three of the vertebrae of his back are stuck together, and that he is suffering from a slight curvature of the spine.
According to the Captain's letter he and his men were engaged, during the fighting of July 15 in carrying the wounded from the battle line to a field hospital. He and a detail of his men had just brought in some wounded when a flock of German fliers soared over the field hospital and began dropping bombs.
"I was in the open when the bombs began to fall," Burns writes. "One flier dived and I thought he was going to machine gun me, but he dropped a bomb instead. As I was lying flat on my face, the concussion from the bomb which fell within a hundred feet of me, lifted me straight up into the air about six feet and then dropped me down again.
"The next night the Germans sent over another flock of machines and this time they machine gunned the hospital. Since then we have evacuated to a base hospital and for the time being I am O. K. again.
"I thought I knew what war was," continues Captain Burns, who as a member of the Rainbow Division, was one of the first men from America under fire and who has seen a great deal of fighting activity since, "but when the jar of exploding shells and gunfire breaks window eighteen kilometers back of the firing line, it sure is gunfire, now believe me, and eleven hours of it too.
"When I was sent down to bring in the wounded to the field hospital the Huns began shelling the hospital and the wounded had to be handed out under shell fire every three minutes and I had to control my men to keep them carrying litters. I had to help carry litters myself. All of the men were heroes and deserve a cross. I saw two of them knocked down twice within five minutes and then pick up their litter and walk off like fellows carrying freight in a wholesale house. Mostly kids too. I sure did like that bunch of boys I had.
"I was examined this morning and the doctors found three vertebrae stuck together and when I bent over they did not bend. Also I have a slight curvature of the spine. Doc says I have a good long rest ahead of me, perhaps two months or more."
Enthusiastic tribute is paid the Red Cross by Captain Burns. "The Red Cross is surely doing wonders," he says, "and people should know about it. The nurses are right there when it comes to work and they should be given as much credit as the fighting men. If people only knew what they went through they would not wait for a 'drive' to contribute funds.
"The nurses I saw first were under fire, the Germans being busy shelling a field hospital. The nurses were more cool than I was, I know. One asked me coolly: 'Where do you think the next one will land?' The Red Cross men go right up to the front line trenches with cigarettes and papers, right in the mixup."
Referring to his injuries, he says: "Shell shock is what they call it. Gets on ones nerves so he is knocked cold. That's what I was, and nearly buried. The boche pretty near got me that time.
"We are certainly being well taken care of here, so you have no need to worry. We have a fine mess and the nurses cannot do enough for us. They sure are a fine lot of wholesome American girls working from morning until night, setting tables, washing dishes, helping doctors care for patients, dressing wounds, etc.
"I just finished writing a letter to the father of one of my lieutenants who was killed right along side of me; a fine fellow. It sure was hard, but such is war."
In May of 1922, James F. Burns was appointed to be the head of a Service Office created by the American Legion's Department of Wisconsin. An article describing Burns' operation says that he was "himself a victim —of chemical warfare on the Western Front." Wisconsin County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) History by Dr. Mark D. Van Ells. (See Mark D. Van Ells Papers and Photographs.) The 1930 census of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shows the family, all born in Wisconsin, as living at 1620 West 24th Street: James F. Burns, age 41, married at age 30, a State Service Officer of the American Legion; Grace Burns, age 37, married at age 26; James Jr., age 5; Mary R., age 4 1/12; Patricia, age 1 8/12; and the mother of James, Sr., Mary L. Burns, age 60, a widow who had married at age 18 (roll 2954, page 19b; erroneously indexed by Ancestry.com as James H. Burne). James F. Burns died in Milwaukee on May 16, 1964. and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in lot 57-d, grave 1. On November 2, 1972, his wife Grace who had died on October 29, 1972, was buried beside him in lot 57-d, grave 2. See: Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries.
Edmund Patrick McGough (August 25, 1894–May, 1935), who married Jensene Adeline Johnson in Carlton county, Minnesota, on January 5, 1919, and died in Cloquet, Minnesota. Edmund and Jensene had one daughter, Elizabeth J. McGough. The Cloquet City Directory 1927–1928 lists "McGough Edmund P acct N W Paper Co h 619 Chestnut." Edmund Patrick McGough, single, age 22, born on August 24, 1894, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, residing at 422 Avenue D, Cloquet, Minnesota (with his younger brother Justin), registered for the WWI draft in Cloquet, Carlton county, Minnesota, on June 5, 1917. He was employed as a bookkeeper by Northern Lumber Company in Cloquet. Edmond P. McGough is listed in the 1920 census of Cloquet, Carlton county, Minnesota (roll 824, page 228) as age 25, single, a bookkeeper in a paper mill office, living in a rooming house on Avenue D. The family is listed in the 1930 census of Cloquet, Carlton county, Minnesota, at 619 Chestnut Street, as Edmund McGaugh, age 35, married at age 25, an auditor for a paper mill; Jensene McGaugh, age 33, married at age 23, born in Minnesota to parents born in Sweden; and Betty Jean McGaugh, a daughter, age 8 10/12, born in Minnesota, and a 21 year old servant girl (roll 1081, page 8B).
Justin Hugh McGough (September 24 , 1896–April 12, 1959), who married Ruth Downs Brownell in Cloquet, Minnesota, on November 24, 1922, and died in Seattle, Washington. One family record shows Justin's birth date as September 24, 1897. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Birth Index shows the birth date of Justin H. McGough, born in Eau Claire, as September 26, 1896, which fits better with the birth dates of his older brother Edmund and younger sister Mary Elizabeth. Justin Hugh McGough, single, age 21, born on September 24, 1896, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, residing at 422 Avenue D, Cloquet, Minnesota (with his older brother Edmund), registered for the WWI draft in Cloquet, Carlton county, Minnesota, on June 5, 1918. He was employed by Northwest Paper Company in Cloquet. He listed as his nearest relative Hugh McGough of Eau Claire, his father. Justin entered the U. S. Army as a private on August 28, 1918, and was honorably discharged on July 11, 1919. See the Application for Headstone or Marker of May 8, 1959, available on Ancestry.com. under U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925–1963.
Justin and Ruth had five children, Patricia Ruth McGough (O'Brien), Mary Helen (Molly) McGough (Sister Mary Charles McGough OSB, St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth, MN, who died at the age of 82 on September 2, 2007), Nancy Theresa McGough, John Hugh McGough (McKinnon), and Charles Brownell McGough. John Hugh (Jack) McGough changed his legal name to John Hugh McKinnon in 1972 "… not out of disrespect for the name McGough but because I got so tired of people asking me how to pronounce it, spell it, etc. I think I was a bit oversensitive." Justyn McGough, age 23 (on January 1, 1920), single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Canada and a mother born in Wisconsin (sic), a supply clerk in a paper company office, is listed in the 1920 census of Cloquet, Carlton county, Minnesota (roll 824, page 233). The 1930 census of Duluth, St. Louis county, Minnesota, lists: Justin H. McGough (indexed by Ancestry.com as McGaugh), age 33, married at age 24, born in Wisconsin, a salesman for a hardware firm; Ruth D. McGough, age 30, married at age 21, born in Minnesota; John H. McGough, age 7, and Mary E. McGough, age 4 11/12, born in Minnesota. The 1940 census of Duluth lists Justin H. McGough, age 43, a senior clerk in an industry described as "Cancel tax records" (?), living in the same house in which he and his family resided on April 1, 1935, with his wife, Ruth M., age 41, and 4 children: John H., age 17; Mary H., age 14; Charles B., age 6; and Patricia R., age 5 (roll T627_1972, page 3B).
Justin and Ruth's daughter Mary (Molly) became a Benedictine nun and gained fame as an artist. Sister Mary Charles McGough, OSB, Duluth, MN, was a member of The American Benedictine Academy and a Creator of Icons. Here is her icon of St. Benedict. Sister Mary Charles illustrated the book Roots, deep and strong: great men and women of the church by Mary E. Penrose, New York : Paulist Press, c1995. She was the winner of the 2004 Scholastica Inspiration Award. For a short biography and a display of several of her icons, see +Mary Charles McGough, O.S.B. on the website of The Printery House. There is a biography of Sister Mary Charles (Molly) McGough (1925 – 2007) on the web page of Ask Art — The Artist's Bluebook™:
Sister Mary Charles (Molly) McGough was born to Justin Hugh McGough and Ruth (Brownell) on April 18, 1925, in Cloquet, MN. She received her high school education at Duluth, Minnesota's Cathedral High School, and received a Bachelor of Arts from The College St. Scholastica, a Masters in Education from the University of Minnesota, and a Masters of Fine Arts from Notre Dame University.
Sister Mary Charles began her teaching career in 1949 as a second grade teacher at St. Bridget's School, Minneapolis ... (This biography is accessible freely to anyone every Friday.)
Justin McGough moved his family from Duluth, Minnesota, to Seattle in about 1947. His son, John H. McGough, graduated from Seattle University. John married Nancy T. Lavis in San Francisco in October, 1956, at which time John was a student of San Francisco State College. See the article in the Oakland Tribune of Sunday, October 28, 1956 (page 4-S): Old St. Mary's Scene of McGough-Lavis Rite, which is available on Ancestry.com. Charles Brownell McGough, who was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on July 6, 1936, graduated from the same high school in Seattle as I did. I graduated from O'Dea High School in 1949; Charles graduated in 1951. Charles McGough received a B. S. degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, and an M. S. and a Ph. D. from University of Pittsburgh, all in chemical engineering.. In 1978, Dr. C. B. McGough had become the Manager of Marketing Programs with the Advanced Reactor Division of Westinghouse. He was "widely published, particularly in the topics of the liquid fast breeder reactor and sodium." See the information published in connection with his presentation on The Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor, It's Role in the Future at a joint meeting on January 10, 1978, of the IEEE Power & Energy Society and the San Francisco Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. See also: McGough C. B., A Review of Domestic International Fast Breeder Programs. 1979 Electric Engineering Conference, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, April 1979. Charles published a well-reviewed book in July of 2012: I've Got This Great Idea! Now What? Ten Easy-To-Follow Steps to Evaluate, Patent, Trademark, and License Your Exciting New Invention. In connection with promotion of the book, we have been provided with this succinct review of his career: Dr. Charles B. McGough spent "twenty-five years in senior management positions in large U.S. technical corporations, fifteen years as president of two industrial laser companies, six issued patents, one trademark, seven provisional patent applications, and many publications. One of his products, which is currently sold nationwide in Lowe’s, Sam’s Club, and other outlets, is rapidly approaching one million units sold, and several of his other new products will soon be distributed nationally. Dr. McGough and his wife Elizabeth have four grown sons and live in Savannah, Georgia."
Justin Hugh McGough died in Seattle, Washington, on April 12, 1959, at the age of 62. Washington State Death Records. He was buried in Holyrood Cemetery, Seattle, on April 15, 1959. Find A Grave Memorial# 35788131.
Mary Elizabeth McGough (August 28, 1898–December 6, 1966), who never married, and who died in Eau Claire. Her birth is shown in the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Birth Index where her name appears as Mary E. McGough. In the 1920 census of Eau Claire, she was listed with her parents at 202 Randall Street as Elizabeth McGough, age 20, single, a teacher.The Eau Claire City Directory of 1920, at page 303 (1923, at page 273, and 1941, at page 281, lists her as Elizabeth McGough, teacher, public schools, residing at 202 Randall. She is buried, under the name Elizabeth McGough, 1898–1966, next to her parents, Hugh McGough and Mary McGough, her brother John, and her grandfather, Charles Campbell, in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire. She is almost certainly the Elizabeth M. McGough listed in the 1930 census of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, as age 31, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada, a teacher in the field of education (roll 1091, page 7B).
Thomas Richard McGough (January 3, 1901–August 17, 1958), my father, who married Dorothy Magdalene Welsh of Eau Claire in Seattle, Washington, on September 11, 1930. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Birth Index records Thomas' birth in Eau Claire under the name Thomas R. McGue and gives a birth date, surely erroneous, of January 3, 1900. He always gave his birthday as January 3, 1901. In his adult life, Thomas used Richard as his primary first name. The Thomas was dropped before his 9th birthday. The 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses list his name as Richard McGough. He graduated from St. Paul College of Law in 1922. The 1925 St. Paul, Minnesota, City Directory, at page 795, has this entry: McGough, Richard, lawyer, 624 Endicott Building, residence 469 Selby. The 1926 directory has this entry, at page 826, and the 1927 directory at page 771, have this entry: McGough, Richard T., lawyer, Christofferson and Chistofferson, residence, 469 Selby. The 1928 directory, at page 833, has this entry: McGough, Richard T. moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
Any stay of my father in Omaha was short. He moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1928 or 1929. The 1930 census of Seattle lists him as Richard McGough, age 29, a lawyer in general practice, born in Wisconsin. He was the "guest," probably a boarder, in the home of Samuel and Sady Henderson.
Richard and Dorothy McGough, my parents, were married in Seattle on September 11, 1930, and had four children, all born in Seattle: Hugh Richard McGough (me), born June 9, 1931; Eileen Dorothy McGough (Orse), born July 26, 1932; James Howard McGough, born March 5, 1935; and George Alan McGough, born July 5, 1936. My father was buried on August 19, 1958 in Holyrood Cemetery in Seattle (section G, lot 928, site 6).
The 1940 census of Seattle lists the Richard McGough family at 18 Newell Street in block 54* of enumeration district 40-112 (page 23 of 32, sheet #61A, lines 12 to 17, number of household in order of visitation 255), date of enumeration April 3, 1940:
(1940) Richard T. McGough, age 39, married, lived in same house on April 1, 1935, born in Wisconsin, 4 years of college, working (10 hours worked during week of March 26–30, 1940; 20 weeks worked in 1939), lawyer, professional, owner of a home valued at $5,000. (Amount of 1939 income not stated.)
Dorothy M. McGough, age 39, married, lived in same house on April 1, 1935, born in Wisconsin, 4 years of college, working (21 hours worked during week of March 26–30, 1940; 26 weeks worked in 1939), sales lady, retail drugs (J. R. Watkins Products - independent associate). (Amount of 1939 income not stated.)
Hugh R. McGough (me), age 8, born in Washington (enumerated on line 14 and therefore was one of two persons listed under Supplementary Questions at the bottom of the page.)
Eileen D. McGough, age 7, born in Washington.
James H. McGough, age 5, born in Washington.
George A. McGough, age 3, born in Washington.
* This census page does not list the correct block number. Block 54 is bounded by Armour Street on the north, 1st Avenue North on the east, Newell Street on the south, and Queen Anne Avenue on the west. 18 Newell Street is at the southeast corner of block 54. Ancestry.com’s index of the 1940 census inexplicably lists McGough as McGovan.
John James McGough (June 15, 1903–April 13, 1907) died just before his 4th birthday. The interment records of St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire show that "Jno. Jas McGough" died of pneumonia at the age of 4 and was buried "4–19 May 1907." The actual date of burial was probably April 15, 1907. A death notice in the Sunday, April 14, 1907, edition of the Eau Claire Leader (available on Ancestry.com) says that John McGough, the four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McGough "died yesterday morning at 11 o'clock after a week's illness of pneumonia." The funeral was to be held on the following Monday morning at St. Patrick's Church, the Reverend A. B. C. Dunne officiating.
Rose Geraldine McGough (March 2, 1905–September 2, 1954), who married William Edwin Erickson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in March of 1939, and died in Madison, Dane county, Wisconsin. William and Rose had one child, William Patrick Erickson. Rose G. McGough is listed in the 1930 census of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Wisconsin, as age 25, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada, a teacher in a public school (roll 2578, page 3B).
The 1940 census of Eau Claire lists this family at 847 Oxford Avenue:
(1940) William E. Erickson, age 40, born in Wisconsin, lived at the same place on April 1, 1935, laborer at U.S. Rubber Co., worked 40 hours in the week of March 31, 1940; employed 52 weeks and earned $1500 in 1939 (roll T627_4477, page 2B). [William E. Erickson was born in Eau Claire on December 16, 1899. Wisconsin Births, 1820–1907 on Ancestry.com.]
Rose G. Erickson, age 35, born in Wisconsin, lived at the same place on April 1, 1935, not employed outside the home.
William P. Erickson, age 1 month, born in Wisconsin.
The 1930 census of Eau Claire lists William E. Erickson, age 30, an agent in general insurance, living with his parents: Adam L. Erickson, age 58, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Sweden, married 21 years, a general insurance agent, and Sarah A. Erickson, age 59, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Norway, married 21 years (roll 2571, page 10B; FHL microfilm 2342305).
The 1943 directory for Eau Claire, page 138, shows that William E. Erickson, husband of Rose G., with a residence at 429 Hudson, had rejoined his father, and was employed as a salesman for Erickson Insurance Agency. Bill (William Patrick) Erickson, the son of Rose McGough and William Edwin Erickson, has been kind enough to send me many of his reminiscences of growing up in Eau Claire. Bill married Bernadette "Betsy" Mulheron from a large Eau Claire family; she was in the middle of fifteen children of Ronald and Elizabeth Mulheron. Bill and Betsy have three grown daughters and live on the western edge of Brookfield, Wisconsin, east of the city of Waukesha. Here is a sample of Bill's stories from an email of November 4, 2011:
"My parents and I were fortunate to be in touch with our grandfather Hugh in the 40's. We lived just 10 or so blocks south of 202 Randall (that seemed like quite a trek when I took my first bike trip for a visit one summer afternoon.) I have a few fond memories of gatherings around the table on holidays, lots of laughter especially shared by my Grandma, Mom and two aunts (Betty and Grace on their occasional visits). I especially recall some 'formal' dinners and lots of story telling around that table, and some breakfasts of pancakes prepared by Grandpa Hugh (with a miniature one for my Teddy Bear to boot! After Grandma died in the summer of '46, we would often pick him up on Sundays to help him into church through the side door off the school parking lot at St. Pats - for the 10:30 Mass. He avoided the later one at 12 noon with some disdain - he called it the 'Bartenders' Mass, and had a great joke that is related to that - about the guy with the parrot who swore. When someone suggested the bartender should take him to church some day to cure the parrot of his bad habit, the covering over the parrot's cage was lifted and the parrot looked over the situation and proclaimed "Same g-d gang but a new bartender!" That was one of many stories. Most of the others I probably wouldn't have understood - or more likely was too young to hear! Grampa would call almost daily and ask Mom 'How's the captain?' Amusing to me, but in retrospect - a great memory, and a privilege to have known him, and experienced that Father-daughter-grandson relationship."
Hugh McGough died at birth in Eau Claire on December 6, 1906. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index shows the death of Hugh McGue on that date. The interment records of St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire show that, on December 6, 1906, the "Child of Hough McGue" was stillborn.
Francis Eugene McGough (August 14, 1908–November 27 1993), who married in Eau Claire Mary Elizabeth Seemann (daughter of Dr. William Otto "Will" Seemann, who was born on August 6, 1870, in Lyons, Clinton county, Iowa, and who practiced medicine in Eau Claire) on November 17, 1934, and who died in Sun City, Maricopa county, Arizona. Francis Eugene was my "Uncle Gene." Gene and Mary had seven children: Mary Linn McGough, who died as an infant; Katherine Elizabeth McGough (Schuff), Patrick Michael McGough, William Francis McGough, Rosemary Ellen McGough (Dolmage), Janet Anne McGough, and Thomas Eugene McGough. Gene's daughter (and my cousin), Rosemary (Mrs. John) Dolmage, writes of her father:
"My father tells wonderful stories of his childhood adventures. The large two-story house that was his home was located two blocks from the Eau Claire River on one side and two blocks from Half Moon Lake on the other. Summertime was filled with lots of swimming.
"At the age of five, my father began his academic career in first grade at St. Patrick's grade school. He remembers the end of World War I, November of 1918, when three of his brothers came home from the armed services; two had been in the Army and one in the Marines.
"After school at the age of fourteen, my father worked at McDonough Manufacturing (where his father was employed) in the mailroom. At sixteen, he was promoted to working the drill press.
"At the age of fifteen, Dad took second prize in an essay contest. That same year he was captain of the football team.
"Upon graduation from high school in 1925, and entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a year, he decided not to return there, but to go to St. Paul, Minnesota and enter the St. Paul College of Law. (An alumnus who was to rise to national prominence on the U. S. Supreme Court was Warren Burger.) Dad lived with his brother Dick who was a newly graduated young lawyer. Dad worked in a law office during the day, serving papers, doing 'Court calls, researching legal descriptions with a salary of $40 a month — and going to school at night. At this time, he was 18 years old.
"My father had been plagued with ear infections most of his life. In 1930, it became evident that surgery was inescapable. Dad went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the surgery. Without the aid of penicillin or sulfa drugs, recuperation from this ordeal took a year.
"In 1931, Dad entered Eau Claire State College to get his education credits. He graduated in January of 1932, the depth of the Great Depression that affected all walks of life. He briefly taught commercial law, history and coached the debating team at Eau Claire High School. (Dad remembers that of his graduating class of 85 students, only 3 got jobs.)
"In late 1932, he landed a job with Standard Brands to supplement his teaching income. Later he was offered the job of route salesman with a salary of $90 a month. Dad recalls that at this time in the depression era this was considered a great salary and it was certainly 'big news' when anybody got a job.
"This job led to my Dad traveling throughout the area. On one of the trips to Rice Lake, Wisconsin he was told the Joyce Baking Co. was up for sale and was a good buy for a young man who was interested. He purchased this bakery.
"Later that same year he was married to my mother, Mary Elizabeth Seemann."
Francis E. McGough is listed in the 1930 census of Lake township, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, as age 21, single, a student at St. Francis' Seminary, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada-French (roll 2584, page 3A). By 1940, he had married Mary Seemann and was operating a bakery in Rice Lake, Barron county, Wisconsin. Here is the listing of the family, who owned a home valued at $6000 and resided at 205 West Newton in Rice Lake:
(1940) F. E. McGough, age 31, born in Wisconsin, lived at the same place on April 1, 1935, proprietor of R. L. Baking Co., worked 52 weeks during 1939 (roll T627_4457, page 9A; indexed by Ancestry.com as D. E. McGough.)
Mary McGough, age 27, born in Wisconsin, no employment outside the home.
Katharine McGough, age 2, born in Wisconsin.
Seeman, Dr. W. O. (father-in-law).. age 69, widower, born in Iowa, lived in the same place on April 1, 1935, not employed.
The 1957, 1959, and 1960 city directories of Eau Claire indicate that my uncle Gene had moved from Rice Lake back to Eau Claire before 1959. The 1957 directory, at page 282, lists McGough Frances E. (Eliz), v-pres Holsum Bakers Inc r Rice Lake Wis. The 1959 directory, at page 477, lists: McGough Francis E. (Eliz) pres Holsum Bakeries Inc h1809 Lyndale av. The 1960 directory, at page 375, lists: McGough Francis E (Mary) pres Holsum Bakeries Inc h215 Park Avenue. Living with him in 1960 was his son, Patrick M. McGough, a student. Francis and Patrick were the only McGoughs listed in the 1960 city directory of Eau Claire.
The Social Security Death Index shows that F. E. McGough, who was born on August 14, 1908, and whose social security card was issued in Wisconsin, died on October 27, 1993, while a resident of Peoria, Maricopa county, Arizona.
Patrick M. McGough, son of Francis Eugene McGough and Mary Seeman McGough, died in Sun City, Arizona, on February 1, 2011. Here is his obituary:
Patrick M. McGough, 70, passed away Feb. 1, 2011. He was born to Francis Eugene McGough and Mary Seemann McGough Jan. 14, 1941 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He had resided in Arizona for the past 47 years. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother William.
Pat is survived by his sisters Katherine Schuff (Theodore) of Las Vegas, Rosemary Dolmage (John) of Phoenix and Janet McGough also of Phoenix and a brother Thomas (Pamela) of Waukesha, Wisconsin. He has seven nieces and nephews.
Pat graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1963 and attended the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Pat was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Arizona State Legislative Council since 1967.
Services are scheduled at St Francis Xavier, 4715 N. Central Ave., Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 9:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent de Paul, 420 W. Watkins Road, PO Box 13600, Phoenix, AZ. 85002-3600. Or St. Mary’s Food Bank, 2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009-1581.
George Arthur McGough (December 24, 1911–June 27, 1974), who married Irene Marie Anderson in Eau Claire on May 4, 1940, and died in Dumas, Moore county, Texas. (The Social Security Death Index shows his last residence as Tucson, Pima county, Arizona.) George and Irene had seven children: Mary Ann McGough (Ormson), Richard George McGough, John Stephen McGough, Patricia Jeanne McGough (Trask-1971) (Nulman-1980), Paul Francis McGough, Elizabeth Kay McGough (Yarish), and Kathleen Joan McGough (Betstone). George A. McGough, age 18, single, working as a clerk in a drug store, was living with his parents, Hugh. age 62, and Mary McGough, age 59, in the 1930 census of Eau Claire (roll 2571, page 18). He was the last of the children to be living in the home of his parents. The Social Security Death Index shows that Irene M. McGough, who was born on November 2, 1912, and whose social security card was issued in Wisconsin before 1951, died on March 20, 1988, while residing in Phoenix, Maricopa county, Arizona.
The Eau Claire city directory of 1941, at page 272, lists George A. McGough, employed as a pharmacist by Jensen Brothers, with his wife Irene M. McGough, with a home at 204 Babcock. The 1943 directory, at page 281, contains the note moved to Barron after the name of George A. McGough. The 1957 directory, at page 282, lists both Francis E. McGough and George McGough as vice-presidents of Holsum Bakers, Inc., with Francis' residence listed as Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and George's as Barron, Wisconsin.
Here is the listing of the family at 202 Randall Street in the 1910 census of Eau Claire:
(1910) Hugh McGough, age 44, married 19 years, born in Wisconsin, father born in Ireland "English O", mother born in Pennsylvania, superintendent, manufacturing company. (T-624, roll 1710, page 2B, line 83)
Mary McGough, age 39, married 19 years, mother of 9 children, 8 living, both in Canada to a father born in Canada and a mother born in Ireland, immigrated to US in 1884.
Chas J. McGough, age 18, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada, stenographer mercantile store (?).
Grace McGough, age 17, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Edmund McGough, age 15, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Justin McGough, age 13, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Elizabeth McGough, age 12, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Richard McGough, age 9, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Rose McGough, age 5, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada,
Frances Eugene McGough (daughter ???), age 1, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin and a mother born in Canada.
Here is the listing of the family at 202 Randall Street in the 1920 census of Eau Claire:
(1920) Hugh McGough, age 53, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Pennsylvania, superintendent, owner of home free of a mortgage (T-625, roll 1984, page 1B, line 67).
Mary McGough (wife), age 48, born in Canada to a father born in Canada and a mother born in Ireland, year of immigration unknown, naturalized,
Elizabeth McGough (daughter), age 20, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, teacher, public school.
Richard McGough (son), age 18, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, drug store.
Rose McGough (daughter), age 14, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, no occupation, attended school within the year.
Eugene McGough (son), age 11, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, no occupation, attended school within the year.
George McGough (son), age 8, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, no occupation, attended school within the year.
The next dwelling house on the census return lists the parents and a sister of Mrs. Hugh McGough (Mary Campbell) in an unnumbered house on Mappa Street: Mappa Street intersects Randall Street at right angles. Randall Street runs east and west. Mappa Street runs north and south.
(1920) Charles Campbell, age 76, born in Canada to parents born in Ireland, emigrated in 1886, naturalized in 1888, no occupation. (T-625, roll 1984, page 1B, line 74)
Elizabeth Campbell, age 73, born in Ireland to parents born in Ireland, emigrated in 1886, no occupation.
Anna Campbell, age 35, single, born in Canada, to a father born in Canada and a mother born in Ireland, emigrated in 1886, naturalized, no occupation.
My grandfather, Hugh McGough, died in Eau Claire at the age of 87 on or about November 18, 1952. He is buried in St. Patrick's cemetery in Eau Claire, as Hugh McGough (1865–1952). Buried in the same plot (block 77, lot 1) are his wife, Mary McGough (January 4, 1871–July 16, 1946), their daughter Elizabeth (1898–1966), their son John McGough (1903–1907), Mary Ann McGough's father, Charles Campbell (1840–1922), her sister Anne Campbell (1880–1972), her brother Charles Campbell (1840–1922), her sister Betty Campbell (1845–1928), Thomas Groundwater (1866–1949) and Margaret Groundwater (1876–1944). Thomas Groundwater and Mary Campbell were married in Eau Claire on November 22, 1896, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928. Mary J. Groundwater was a witness to the marriage of John Joseph McGough to Rosanna Ferrigan in Eau Claire on May 21, 1890, providing a link between two of the McGough families in Eau Claire. The other witness was James Ferrigan, probably the son of William Ferrigan and Rosannah McCormack. A James Ferrigan died in Eau Claire on April 26, 1925, at the age of 58, and may well have been Rosanna Ferrigan's brother. A Mrs. James Ferrigan, who was born in Canada, died of consumption in Eau Claire on January 6, 1905 at the age of 30. (The death of Mrs. James Ferregan on January 8, 1903, is listed in the Pre 1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI.)
Hugh McGough and Mary Ann Campbell raised their family at 202 Randall Street on the west side of Eau Claire, and Hugh McGough apparently continued to live there until his death at age 87 in 1952. Sue Halvorson of Eau Claire sent me a a copy of the front page of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram of October 21, 1989, where the blaze that destroyed the old McGough home was the lead article on page 1 under the headline: Blaze destroys west side homes. The article said that the 132-year old house had been owned by Jean Lorentz for 33 years. Jean Lorentz was Sue Halvorson's mother. Sue says that, in the early 1900s, her family had settled in the area, the ninth ward, "a charming neighborhood." She lists many of her family who lived within a few blocks of the house. She sent me the warranty deed of the property from Glen Stai and Carol Stai to her parents, Allan L. Lorentz and Jeanne M. Lorentz, dated September 21, 1956. The Stais apparently bought the property shortly after the death of Hugh McGough, at the age of 87, on November 30, 1952.
Sue also sent me some old title documents, one of which, dated December 28, 1952, was a legal opinion that George A. McGough had a good and marketable title to the premises: "Lots One (1) and Two (2) of Block Eight (8), Whipple and Bellinger Addition to the city of Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin." I assume that my uncle, George Arthur McGough, youngest child of Hugh McGough, sold the property as executor of his father's estate.
My mother, Dorothy Magdalene Welsh, was born in Eau Claire on February 15, 1901, and died in Seattle on September 4, 1979. She married my father, Thomas Richard McGough, in Seattle, Washington, on September 11, 1930. I am the oldest of their four children, all of whom were born in Seattle: Hugh Richard McGough (me), born June 9, 1931; Eileen Dorothy McGough (Orse), born July 26, 1932; James Howard McGough, born March 5, 1934; and George Allen McGough born July 4, 1935. My brother George died on April 9, 1974, and was buried on April 16, 1974, in Holyrood Cemetery in Seattle. My mother died in Seattle on September 4, 1979, in Seattle, and was buried in Holyrood Cemetery (section G, lot 2712, site 7) on September 6, 1979. My brother James died on March 23, 2011, at the home of his nephew (George's son), Richard Amiel McGough, in Yakima, Washington, and his ashes were to be scattered at a place he loved, Monte Cristo, Washington.
Dorothy's mother, Evelyn Van Stratum, had a younger sister named Magdalena, and she is probably the origin of my mother's middle name.
The parents of my mother, Dorothy Magdalene Welsh, were James Patrick Welsh (March 22, 1865–October 11, 1948), who was born and died in Eau Claire, and Evelyn Van Stratum* (July 1, 1869–January 28, 1961), who lived in Appleton, Outagamie county, Wisconsin, at the time of her marriage, and died in Eau Claire. James Patrick Welsh and Evelyn Van Stratum were married on May 27, 1890, and had five children. For a more complete genealogy of this Welsh (Walsh) family, go to: The Descendants of James and Ellen Walsh.
*The surname was often spelled Van Strattum, with two ts, in the 1900s, but the family seems to have agreed on using only one t in recent years. In early drafts of this paper, I spelled the name Van Strattum, but have changed to the more common Van Stratum except when I am copying documents when I use the name as it is spelled in the document. I assume that Van Straatum is a form of the same name.
The biography of my grandfather was published in the History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin—Past and Present, edited by Judge William F. Bailey (1914 C. F. Cooper & Co. Chicago), at pages 894–5:
"James P. Welsh, chief of the fire department of Eau Claire, was born in Eau Claire on March 22, 1865. His father, James Welsh, was born on Prince Edward Island in the year 1838 and was a lumberman by trade. He came to Eau Claire in 1857, being one of the very early settlers, and was employed by various companies for a time, then became connected with the Eau Claire Lumber Company, with whom he remained for about forty years, during that time being in charge of sorting works on the Eau Claire river. His death occurred on June 14, 1897, at the age of fifty-nine years. Mrs. Welsh, mother of our subject, was Miss Mariah Beckwith, who was born in Dane County, Wisconsin, February 22, 1841. [Both the 1870 and the 1880 censuses say she was born in New York.] They had a family of eleven children, viz: James P., our subject, John, William, Edward, Kattie, Peter, Arthur, who are all deceased; Frederick is connected with the Eau Claire fire department; Ella is married to Charles Halblieb, a conductor on the Omaha railroad; Albert is a gas fitter in Eau Claire, and Frank is a railroad conductor. Mr. Welsh was a staunch Democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic church. He was buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire.
"James P. obtained a good common school education and his first employment was with Charles Alber, of Eau Claire, where he went to learn the trade of furrier, but remained at this work only about six months, then went to work in the grocery store of Bonnell and McGraw, and later in the store of N. J. McIntyre, remaining in this latter position about two years. From 1881 to 1889 he worked at the lumbering business in its various branches, and on September 1, 1889, he became connected with the Eau Claire fire department in the capacity of pipeman; on November 1, 1891, he was made superintendent of firm [fire?] alarm; on May 4, 1899, he was appointed city electrician; May 4, 1901, was appointed fire warden; May 4, 1905, was appointed assistant chief, filling all four positions at one and the same time; November 2, 1906, he was appointed chief, at which time he resigned the above four offices and has since been at the head of the department, where he has proven himself a most worthy official. At this date he has given more than twenty-five years unbroken service in the fire department.
"Mr. Welsh is independent in his politics, is a member of the Catholic church and the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. He was married on May 27, 1890, to Miss Evelyn Van Strattum, daughter of A. H. Van Strattum, of Appleton, Wis., and five children have been born to them as follows: Vernona E., Evelyn, William W., Dorothy and Patricia who died in infancy."
In the History of Eau Claire County Wisconsin, 1914, Past and Present, Chapter 24 - Eau Claire Fire Department, was written by my grandfather, James P. Welsh.
My grandmother, Evelyn Van Stratum, was the daughter of Anthony H. Van Stratum and Mary D. Van Stratum, both of whom were born in Holland. The family is listed in the 1880 census of Appleton (6th ward), Outagamie county, Wisconsin, as Van Strattum (but the surname more often appears with a single t):
(1880) Anthony H. Van Strattum, age 45, married, clerk in store, born in Holland to parents born in Holland, living on Durkee Street (indexed by Ancestry.com as Van Strattnus; roll 1440, page 50C). [The IGI lists an Antonius Hendrikus Van Stratum who was born on April 4, 1833, in Geldrop, Noord Brabant, Netherlands (about 6 kilometers or 4 miles east of Eindhoven city), to Caspar Van Stratum and Judoca Verhoeven. Also, an Antonius Hendrikus Hubertus Van Straaten was born on May 14, 1839, and christened in Nijmegan, Gelderland, Nederland. His father was Jacobus Van Straaten and his mother was Anna Reine. Netherlands Births and Christenings, 1608–1882 on Ancestry.com.]
Mary Van Strattum (wife), age 43, married, keeping house, born in Holland to parents born in Holland.
Fred Van Strattum (son), age 21, dentist, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland. [Frederick in the 1870 census. The 1905 Wisconsin state census of the town of Vaughan, Iron county, lists Fred C. VanStratum, age 46, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Germany, owner of a home free of a mortgage, with his wife, age 36, born in New York; a daughter, Marie, age 20, born in Wisconsin; and a son, Byron, age 18, born in Wisconsin.]
William Van Strattum (son), age 19, carpenter, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland. [Willie in the 1870 census. The 1905 Wisconsin state census of Appleton lists William S. Van Stratum, age 44, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Germany, a contractor, owner of his home free of a mortgage; with his wife, Lou (also known as Lulu) M., age 41, born in New York; a daughter, Edith, age 20, born in Wisconsin; and a son, William H., age 15, born in Wisconsin. (William H. Van Stratum, single, age 28, born on December 30, 1888, in Appleton, Wisconsin, registered for the WWI draft in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1917. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 on Ancestry.com.) A William Van Stratum died in Appleton on November 2, 1953. Fox Valley Genealogical Society—Obituaries 1953.]
Mary Van Strattum (daughter), age 14, at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland, attended school within the year. [Mary D. Van Stratum was married on June 28, 1889, in Outagamie county, Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin Marriages, pre-1907, on Ancestry.com (volume 2, page 248). With a citation to the same page of the record, the index says that an Anthony Van Stratum was married in Outagamie, Wisconsin, on June 10, 1889. The compiler of the resource substituted the name of Mary's father for the name of the groom, whom other sources indicate was Allen J. Van Valkenburg. After the death of his wife, Mary Van Stratum, Allen H. Van Valkenburg married Mary's younger sister, Magdalena (Della) Van Stratum.]
Henry Van Strattum (son), age 12, at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland, attended school within the year. [The 1910 census of Appleton lists Henry A. Van Stratum, age 41, married for 18 years, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Holland, a millwright in a tissue mill, and owner of his home free of a mortgage; with his wife, Helen, age 40, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, mother of 1 child who was living; and their daughter, Evalyn D., age 14. Living with them was Henry's mother-in-law, Laura Meyr, age 63, who was born in Germany and emigrated in 1867, mother of 5 children, 4 of whom were living.]
Evelina Van Strattum (daughter), age 10 (July 1, 1869–January 28, 1961), at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland, attended school within the year. [In the 1870 census, the youngest child was Eveline Van Stratum, 11 months old, born in Wisconsin in August, 1869. She married my grandfather, James Patrick Welsh, on May 27, 1890.]
Laura Van Strattum (daughter), age 8, at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland, attended school within the year. Laura Vanstratum died in Outagamie county, Wisconsin, on November 28, 1880, according to Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907, on Ancestry.com.]
Lucy Van Strattum, age 4, at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland. [In the 1870 census, her name is listed as Lucia T. Vanstratum, where her birth date is listed as October 11, 1875. The same date is listed in Wisconsin Births, 1820–1907 on Ancestry.com. Lucy Vanstratum died in Outagamie county, Wisconsin, on October 5, 1880, according to Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907, on Ancestry.com.]
Magdalena Van Strattum, age 3, at home, born in Wisconsin, to parents born in Holland, attended school within the year. [Her name appears as Magdalina Vanstratum in Wisconsin Births, 1820–1907 on Ancestry.com, where her birth date is listed as May 9, 1877. In the 1900 census of Ward 6 of Appleton, Outagamie county, Wisconsin, she is listed as Madlin Van Strattum, age 23, single, born in May, 1877. In the 1905 Wisconsin state census she was listed as Della Vanstratum, age 28. The record of her marriage to Allen J. Vanvalkenburg in LaGrande, Oregon, on June 6, 1912, registers her name as Della Madeline Vanstratum. My mother, and our family in Seattle, always referred to her as "Aunt Della."]
The Anthony Van Stratum family also appears in the 1860 and 1870 US census returns for Wisconsin. Here is the listing of a family in the 1860 census of Appleton (2nd ward), Outagamie county, Wisconsin:
(1860) A. Van Stratum age 28, saloon keeper, value of personal property $1000, born in Holland (roll M653_1424, page 339).
Maria S. Van Stratum, age 23, housewife, born in Holland.
Frank Van Stratum, age 2, born in Wisconsin.
Sarah Skeel (maid), age 20, born in Holland. (Should be Sarah Speel; sister of Maria S. Van Stratum. See the email of Mary L. Mys, below.)
Fred Skeel, age 19, cooper, born in Holland. (Should be Fred Speel; brother of Maria S. Van Stratum. See the of Mary L. Mys, below.)
Peter Van Leshoute, age 24, slave factor, born in Holland.
In the 1870 census of Appleton (ward 2), Outagamie county, Wisconsin, the surname of the head of this family is listed as A. H. Van Stratum, and indexed by Ancestry.com as Van Stralum. He was a clerk in a dry goods store, 37 years old, and born in Holland. His wife, Mary, is shown as age 32.
On June 18, 2011, Mary L. Mys of Appleton, Wisconsin, sent me this helpful email:
Hugh,
I am able to fill in the missing pieces for you on the parents of your grandmother, Evelyn Van Stratum, if you are interested. The VanStratum surname is difficult, because sometimes it appears as one word, and others as Van Strattum, together with many of their children.
Antonius Henrikus van Stratten alia Anthony Henry Vanstratten, alia Van Stratten born in Geldorp, Noord Brabant, Netherlands. His wife was Maria alia Mary SPEEL. Ancestry has the 1860 US Census in Appleton, Outagamie Co., WI incorrect. The Speels living with A. H. and Mary were her siblings.
Her father was Michael Stephanus SPEEL, who was an early emigrant from the Netherlands. They emigrated 1848 on the Bark Ship, Maria Magdalena, with the Rev. Father Theodore Vanden Broek, who was a very early priest in WI. Father Vanden Broek was born in Amsterdam, and became a priest. He was in WI as early as 1830. He traveled back and forth to the Netherlands to get families to settle in WI to help build canals, etc. He would put up signs, etc. so the people would see them.
Michael Stephanus SPEEL was a cabinet maker in the Netherlands, and when the family emigrated they found it extremely difficult compared to their roots in the Netherlands. At that period of time there were Indians, and families had to build their own homes.
Sincerely,
Mary L. Mys
The Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System includes Van Stratum, Anton H.; Union; Infantry; 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry; rank in, private; rank out, private; he is also listed as Anton Van Stratun (film number M559, roll 31). The same source lists Anthony Vanstratum in the 8th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, Company D, with no cross-reference but with the alternate name of Anthony H. Vanstratum (film Number M636, roll 41).
Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill: the "War Memories" of John Henry Otto, Captain, Company D, 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry by John Henry Otto, edited by David Gould, James B. Kennedy (on Google Books, copyright 2004 by Kent State University Press) mentions Private Van Stratum at page 18, and includes this footnote at page 380:
3. Pvt Antoine H. Van Stratum of Appleton, Wisconsin, enlisted August 15, 1862, and was transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps on September 30, 1863.
His unit had fought in the bloody Battle of Chickamauga on September 18–20, 1863, and began the protracted Siege of Chattanooga on September 24. The transfer shortly after the battle, and during the siege, to the Veterans Reserve Corps, which was then known as the Invalid Corps, indicates that Van Stratum may have been injured or otherwise partially disabled in the battle or the siege.
The Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861–1934 on Ancestry.com shows that Anthony H. Van Stratum, who served in D 21 Wis Inf and D 8 V. R. C, filed a claim as an invalid on June 11, 1880 (possibly 1882). Application No. 406230; Certificate No. 413383.
The 1884 Wright and Hogg Directory of Appleton, Wisconsin, listed Anthony H. Van Stratum at the n. w. corner Hancock and Durkee. At the same address are: Henry Van Stratum, carpenter; William Van Stratum, carpenter. Frederick J. Van Stratum, a dentist, is listed at 223 Oneida, n. Edwards. Miss Mary Van Stratum. a clerk with J. C. Weissenborn, is listed as boarding at the s. e. corner Hancock and Durkee.
Here are entries from Morrow & Gillett's Appleton City Directory of 1889–1891, page 153:
Van Stratum A. H., clk, bds Crescent House. [The directory, at page 56, lists "Crescent House, Victor Woehler, prop, 685–687 Appleton, cor Fisk"]
Van Stratum Mrs. A. H., res. 771 Spring.
Van Stratum Frederick G, dentist B. Douglas, res. 787 Ida.
Van Stratum William, carpenter, res. 771 Spring.
Anthony Vanstratum of Outagamie county died on September 20, 1890 (at about the age of 55), according to Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907 on Ancestry.com. The Civil War Pension Index on Ancestry.com shows that a death claim was filed by Mary D. Van Stratum, widow of Anthony H. Van Stratum, on October 17, 1890. The record says that Anthony served in Company D of the 21st Wisconsin Infantry, and Company D of the 8th VRC. Application No. 474439; Certificate No. 360350. According to Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879–1903 on Ancestry.com, Antoine H. Van Stratum, who served in Company D, 21st Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, died on September 19, 1890, in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was furnished a headstone under a contract of September (or possibly October) 5, 1891, by Gross Brothers of Lee, Massachusetts (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1845, 22 rolls); Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92; National Archives, Washington, D.C.)
The 1893–4 Wright's Appleton City Directory contains these listings at page 484:
Van Stratum Della Miss, res. 425 Walnut.
Van Stratum Mary (wid. Anthony), res. 425 Walnut.
Van Stratum Wm. (Schneider and Van Stratum) res. 771 Spring. [The same directory, at page 163, shows that Henry Schneider and William Van Stratum were carpentry contractors located at 730 Johnson.]
The 1896 John V. Bunn Directory of Appleton lists at 957 Oneida: Della Van Stratum, clerk, C J Pettibone & Co; and Mrs. Mary Van Stratum, widow of Anthony H. Van Stratum. Wm Van Stratum of Schneider & Van Stratum is listed at 771 Spring.
For some searchable directories of Appleton from the 1880s and 1890s, see: Fox Valley Memory Texts.
The 1900 census of Appleton (ward 6), Outagamie county, Wisconsin, shows this confusing entry for Mary D. Van Strattum, the widow of Anthony H. Van Strattum:
(1900) A. H. Van Strattum, age 63, female, born in December, 1836, in Holland to parents born in Holland, widow, emigrated in 1874, 26 years in the US, naturalized, mother of 9 children, 7 living, with no occupation listed. She was renting from William and sophie Schultz at 779 Winnebago Street (roll T623_1809, page 48A).
Madlin Van Strattum (daughter), age 23, single, born in May of 1877 in Wisconsin, saleswoman [Magdalena in the 1880 census].
The 1905 Wisconsin state census of Appleton again mistakenly lists the widow, Mary D. Vanstratum, as A. H. Vanstratum, a male, age 68, born in Holland, a housekeeper, and her daughter, Della Vanstratum, age 28, born in Wisconsin, a clerk (CSUSAWI1905_21, lines 13 and 14).
The 1910 census of Abbotsford, Clark county, Wisconsin, lists Mary D. Van Stratum, age 73, a widow, born in Holland to parents born in Holland, who emigrated in 1847 and was living on her "own income," living with her widowed son-in-law, Allen J. Van Valkenburg, age 45, born in Michigan to parents born in New York, superintendent of a railway division. Also living in the same household was Allen's sister-in-law (and Mary's daughter), Della Van Stratum, age 25, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Holland, who was employed as a housekeeper for a private family (roll T624_1704, page 4a). [Because the indexer failed to correctly interpret the ditto marks of the census enumerator, the name of Della Van Stratum is misindexed by Ancestry.com as Stratun Della Vanvalkenburg and the name of Mary D. Van Stratum is misindexed as Mary D. Vanvalkenburg.]
The 1905 Wisconsin state census of Abbotsford, Clark county, taken on June 1, 1905, lists Allen J. Vanvalkenburg, age 39, born in Michigan to parents born in New York, a railroad division superintendent, living with his wife, Marie J. Vanvalkenburg, age 39, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Holland, a music teacher. The 1900 census of Stevens Point, Portage county, Wisconsin, lists Allen Van Valkenburg, age 34, born in Michigan in September of 1865 to parents born in New York, a train dispatcher; living with his wife of ten years, Marie, age 33, no children, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Germany (roll T623_1812, page 11A). The 1800 census of Climax, Kalamazoo county, Michigan shows Allen J. Van Valkenburg, age 14, a laborer born in Michigan, living with his his father, William Van Valkenburg (indexed by Ancestry.com as Van Valkinburg), age 44, born in New York to parents born in New York, a labor; Allen's mother, Hellen H., age 40, born in Michigan to a father born in Scotland and a mother born in Vermont; and Allen's sister, Olive G., age 19, born in Michigan (roll 586, page 53B; Family History Film: 1254586).
Corporal Allen J. Van Valkenburg was a member of the Griffin Rifles in Eau Claire on April 20, 1888, along with my grandfather, Private Hugh McGough (see above). See: Chapter 14, Griffin Rifles, pages 206–217 of "History of Eau Claire County Wisconsin, 1914, Past and Present."
Della Madeline Vanstratum married Allen J. Vanvalkenburg in Union county, Oregon (LaGrande) on June 6, 1912. Oregon Marriages, 1906–1920 on Ancestry.com. Here is an an article from the Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Gazette, of June 12, 1912, from Marriage records for Union County Oregon on Genealogy Trails:
BRIDE—Van Strattem, Della
GROOM—Van Valkenburg, A. J.A. J. VAN VALKENBURG MARRIED
A. J. Van Valkenburg, for several years division superintendent on the Soo with headquarters at Abbotsford and later in this city, was married at La Grande, Oregon, last Thursday, to Miss Della Van Strattem of Appleton. The bride is quite well known locally, she being a sister of the first Mrs. Van Valkenburg and she and her mother acted as housekeepers for the gentleman after the death of their daughter and sister.
Mr. Van Valkenburg resigned as superintendent a year or more ago and until recently had been touring various portions of the country. He has been located at La Grande for a short time, filling the position of train dispatcher for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. Many old friends "back east" will extend their felicitations.
Gazette, Stevens Point Wisconsin, June 12, 1912
©S. Williams
The 1920 federal census of LaGrande, Union county, Oregon, lists Allen J. Van Valkenburg, 504 Spring Avenue, age 51, born in Michigan to a father born in New York and a other born in Michigan, a dispatcher of railway trains. His wife is listed as May, age 41, born in the US to parents born in Holland. Living with them was Allen's widowed mother, Helen Van Valkenburg, age 65, born in Michigan to a father born in Scotland and a mother born in New York.
Allen Van Valkenburg, whose wife was Della, died in LaGrande, Oregon, on February 23, 1935. In later years, I visited Aunt Della in LaGrande more than once and I remember her as a gracious lady. She remembered me in her will.
The father of my grandfather was also named James Patrick Welsh (August 1, 1839–June 14, 1897). He married my great-grandmother, Mrs. Henrietta (Maria) Beckwith Slaughter (February 22, 1842–July 3, 1931), in Eau Claire on March 19, 1864. Henrietta was called "Marie" in the 1870 federal census of Wisconsin, "Marie" in the 1880 census, and "Mariah" in a biography of my grandfather James Patrick Welsh, quoted above. She was a widow with one child when she married my great-grandfather, and they had 11 children of their own, the oldest of whom was my grandfather on my mother's side, James Patrick Welsh, born on March 22, 1865, less than three months before the birth of my grandfather on my father's side, Hugh McGough, on June 16, 1865. Henrietta Beckwith had married Stokely C. Slaughter on January 1, 1867, in Sextonville, Buena Vista township, Richland county, Wisconsin. They had one child, Mary Jane Slaughter, who married James Peter Lenfesty of Eau Claire county on May 18, 1877. Stokely served in the Civil War from May 20, 1861, to February 27, 1863, when he was discharged due to disability. He died, probably of war wounds, in May, 1863, and is buried in Bloomer, Wisconsin.
For a more complete genealogy of this Welsh (Walsh) family, go to: The Descendants of James and Ellen Walsh.
Henrietta Beckwith was born on February 22, 1841, the third child and first daughter of Alfred Beckwith,, who was born in New York in 1804, and Arvilla Shea, who was born in New York in 1818. The 1850 census of Montrose, Dane county, Wisconsin, shows this family:
(1850) Alfred Beckwith, age 46, farmer. real estate $500, born in New York.
Arvilla Beckwith, age 32, born in New York. [Possibly the daughter of George and Mary Fuller, below.]
Alfred Beckwith, age 11, born in New York.
Henrietta Beckwith, age 8, born in New York.
Robert Beckwith, age 3, born in Wisconsin.
Martha T. Beckwith, age 7 months, born in Wisconsin.
George Fuller, age 55, farmer, born in New York.
Mary Fuller, age 55, born in New York.
A son, Andrew Beckwith, who was born in 1837, is not listed.
The 1870 federal census of Wisconsin, town of Eau Claire (page 247), lists this family: James Welsh, age 31, works in saw mill, born on Prince Edward Island; Maria, age 28, keeping house, born in New York; Mary, age 9, born in Wisconsin; James, age 5, born in Wisconsin; William, age 2, born in Wisconsin; Edward, age 4 months, born in Wisconsin. Mary was Maria's child by a previous marriage. James was the first born child of this marriage and my grandfather. The family genealogy lists the son named "William" in the census as "Stephen W.," probably Stephen William, born on February 1, 1868; and Edward as born on March 9, 1870.
The 1880 census of Eau Claire lists James Welsh, age 40, laborer, born in Ireland (?); with his wife, Maria, age 38, born in New York; and children: James P., age 15, works in grocery store, born in Wisconsin; Wilfred M., age 6, at school, born in Wisconsin; and Margaret E., age 4, born in Wisconsin.
The listing of the birth place of this James Welsh in the 1860 census as Prince Edward Island confirms that he was my great-grandfather. His father was also James Welsh, who came from Ireland to Prince Edward Island, Canada, and his mother was Ann Brennan who married James Welsh about 1838. In addition to their son James Patrick Welsh, who was born on August 1, 1839, they had another son, Patrick James Welsh, who died as a boy. The P.E.I. GenWeb page includes a searchable 1841 Census of Prince Edward Island. Only the head of a household is listed, along with the ages of others in the house. Some of these others may be distant relatives, servants or lodgers. Here is the information on the household of a James Welsh in 1841: farmer, lot 36, total residents, 7; 7 Roman Catholics; 1 male between 40 and 50; 1 female between 16 and 40; 4 males under 16; 1 female under 16; 80 acres of 3rd best quality land at £.4 a year; 2 years of a 999 year lease had expired; number of persons in each family being natives of Ireland, 5; number of persons in each family being natives of this Island, 2. All immigrants from Ireland paid their own passage. Produce raised by each family during the year: bushels of wheat, 0; bushels barley, 4; bushels oats, 50; bushels potatoes, 100. Number of horses owned, 0; number of neat cattle owned, 0; number of sheep owned, 0; number of hogs owned, 7. There are many other Welsh families from Ireland on contiguous or nearby lots.
James Patrick Welsh and Henrietta Marie Beckwith had at least eleven children, all born in Eau Claire. Six of their children died at birth or in early childhood. They all died in Eau Claire except Francis (Frank) who died in Minneapolis:
James Patrick Welsh, born on March 22, 1865, married Evelyn Van Stratum on May 27, 1890, died on October 11, 1948.
John C. Welsh, born on January 13, 1867, died on February 20, 1867.
Stephen William Welsh, born on February 1, 1868, died on May 15, 1872.
Edward Welsh, born on March 9, 1870, died on May 12, 1872.
Wilfred M. Welsh, born on September 14, 1873, and died on November 17, 1941. The family genealogy says Wilfred married a Mary A. Welsh of Canada on March 4, 1896, in Eau Claire, and that his first wife died on January 31, 1900, the day their third child was born. They had three children: Chester Arthur Welsh, born on September 21, 1897; Amelia (Millie) Welsh, born on December 6, 1898; and Mary Welsh, born on January 31, 1900. In the 1900 census, these three children were all living with relatives. On August 2, 1904, Wilfred married his second wife, Amelia (Milly) Alberts in Eau Claire, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928. Wilfred is sometimes called Frederick M. Welsh. Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907 on Ancestry.com lists the death of "Mrs. Fred Welsh" on February 1, 1900, in Eau Claire. A biography of my grand-father James P. Welsh in the History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin—Past and Present, edited by Judge William F. Bailey (1914 C. F. Cooper & Co. Chicago), at pages 894–5, lists as one of the surviving sons: "Frederick (who) is connected with the Eau Claire fire department." The 1930 census of Eau Claire lists Fred M. Welsh, age 56, married at age 21 (the year he married his first wife), born in Wisconsin to a father born in Canada and a mother born in New York, an assistant chief of the Eau Claire fire department. With Fred was his wife Amelia Welsh, age 55, married at age 20 (?), born in Wisconsin to parents born in Germany. They owned their home on Center Street, Eau Claire, valued at $3500. In the 1920 census of Eau claire (page 210), the same family is listed as Wilard Welsh (indexed by Ancestry.com as Wilfred Walsh), age 46, assistant chief of the fire department, with his wife, Amelia (indexed by Ancestry.com as Amelia Walsh), age 46, born in Wisconsin, and daughter Millie, age 21. He is listed in the 1910 census of Eau Claire as Willfred Welsh (indexed by Anestry.com as Willfred Walsh), age 36, fireman, with wife, Milly (looks like Molly) A. Welsh, age 32, born in Wisconsin; and children Chester T., age 12; Millie N., age 11; and Mary H. (?), age 10. This census shows that Milly was the mother of no children, which is consistent with Wilfred's first wife having died at the birth of their daughter Mary on January 31, 1900. Amelia would therefore have been the step-mother of these children.
Margaret Ellen (Ella) Welsh, born April 12, 1877, died on October 16, 1943. Ella married Charles Halbleib in Eau Claire on June 26, 1895. Their seven children were all born in Eau Claire.
Peter Welsh, born on November 17, 1977, and died on December 23, 1877.
Catherine Welsh, born June 4, 1879, and died on June 5, 1879.
Albert Thomas Welsh, born on May 3, 1881, and died on December 6, 1965. Albert married Flossie Hambley of Eau Claire on June 30, 1902. They had three children born in Eau Claire.
Francis Joseph Welsh, born on January 22, 1883, and died on April 8, 1864, in Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota. Francis (Frank) married Charlotte (Etta) Esther Kingsland on June 20, 1907, and they had four children. See the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928.
Arthur D. Welsh, born on November 11, 1885, and died on March 25, 1893.
After the death of James Patrick Welsh on June 4, 1897, his wife, Henrietta Maria, married a third husband in Eau Claire on November 28, 1898, according to the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928. He was Peter Munes, who was born in Germany. The 1900 census of Eau Claire shows this family:
(1900) Peter Munes (indexed by Ancestry.com as Munis), age 57, born in August, 1842, in Germany, emigrated in 1848, 52 years in the US, laborer, who owned his home free of a mortgage. [Each of the step-children is listed as born to a father born in Germany and a mother born in New York. In fact, their father was born in Canada.]
Henrietta Munes (wife), age 57, born February, 1842, in New York, to a father born in France and a mother born in Ireland, mother of 14 children, 6 of whom were living.
Albert Welsh (step-son), age 19, single, born in May, 1881, in Wisconsin, laborer.
Francis Welsh (step-son, age 17, single, born in January, 1883, in Wisconsin,
Chester Welsh (step-grandson), age 2, born in September, 1897, in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. [Chester Arthur Welsh, the son of Wilfred L. Welsh and his wife, Mary Alphenus Welsh. Chester was born on September 21, 1897, in Eau Claire, married Tina Dahl in 1918 in Valley City, North Dakota, and died in Mandan, North Dakota, on October 8, 1945. Chester's mother had died at the birth of her third child, Mary Welsh, on January 31, 1900. In the 1900 census, Mary Welsh, age 4 months, was living with and listed as a niece of James P. Welsh, who was the brother of Mary's father, Wilfred M. (Fred) Welsh.]
Amelia Welsh (step-granddaughter), age 1, born in December, 1898, in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. [Millie Welsh, the sister of Chester Welsh above, who was born on December 6, 1898. Millie's mother died in the birth of her third child, Mary Welsh, on January 31, 1900.]
On October 4, 2002, Elizabeth Cord of San Jose, California, provided this additional piece of family history:
"We share ancestry in the Walsh family of Prince Edward Island. Patrick Walsh (m. Anne Brennan), who is your gg grandfather, was the brother of my ggg grandmother, Margaret (Walsh) Doyle.
"Margaret Walsh and Captain James Doyle were married on PEI in 1835, had 4 children there, including my gg grandfather, then moved to Milwaukee, where they were some of the early settlers there before Milwaukee was founded.
"I believe my gggg grandmother, Ellen Walsh, (who was your ggg grandmother), is buried in Eau Claire at St. Patrick's."
She also referred me to the Burns-Cord Family Tree, a record or her ancestors, which includes many Walshes and Welshes; and to the web page of Kingsley Walsh, another descendant of James Patrick Welsh, who still resides on Prince Edward Island: The Descendants of James and Ellen Walsh. This page lists several additional cousins of my mother.
The five children of my grandparents on my mother's side, all born in Eau Claire, were:
Vernona Ellen (Nonie) Welsh (1891¬1943).
Evelyn Eva Welsh (1893¬1986). (Find A Grave Memorial #69436939)
William Winfred (Keek) Welsh (1896¬1972). (Find A Grave Memorial #0955435)
Dorothy Magdalene Welsh (1901¬1979). (my mother) (Find A Grave Memorial #54210401)
Patricia Eva (Patsy) Welsh (1912¬1913). (Find A Grave Memorial #135810390)
Here are notes on my mother, her sisters and brother, and their families:
Vernona Ellen Welsh (Mrs. George L. Gavin) (March 4, 1891¬March 23, 1943), married on November 17, 1919, 2 children, Kathleen and Gwendolen. See the Brides and Grooms Index to Eau Claire County, Wisconsin Marriages 1854–1928. Here is an article from page 7 of the Eau Claire Leader of November 18, 1919:
Gavin-Welsh
The marriage of Miss Vernona Welsh and Mr. George Gavin took place yesterday morning at 8 o'clock at St. Patrick's Church, Reverend Father Dowd performing the ceremony. The bride wore a taupe chiffon broadcloth suit, black beaver hat, and corsage bouquet. She was attended by her sister, Miss Dorothy Welsh who wore a blue serge suit. Mr. Richard McGough attended the groom. A wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Welsh of Grand avenue E. to a few friends and relatives. The home was decorated with hearts, roses and smilax. They left for Minneapolis and on their return will reside in this city. The out of town guests were the groom's parents Mr. and Mrs. Gavin and daughters of Fond du Lac: Mrs. Stephen Gavin and son of Minneapolis.
Here is an article from page 12 the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, July 13, 1919:
Home at Last.- Sergt. George L. Gavin of this city arrived home today from France. He received his discharge at Camp Grant Friday. The sergeant went overseas with the 311 Engineers over a year ago.
John G. Little, in the ebook: The Official History of the Eighty-Sixth Division (States Publications Society, Chicago, 1921), lists on page 295 a roster of Company F, 311th Engineers, that includes: "George L. Gavin, Corp., 190 Sheboygan St., Found du Lac, Wis." Gavin's is the last name on the page.
The 1920 census of Eau Claire (ward 6) lists George L. Gavin, age 28, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Wisconsin, a product engineer for a machine company, living with his wife, Vernona E. Gavin, age 28, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, at 834 2nd Avenue.
A note on page 4 of the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, April 2, 1922, reports that G. L. Gavin had accepted a position at Fond du Lac.
The 1930 census of Whitefish Bay Village, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, lists George Gavin, age 38, married at age 28, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Wisconsin, an engineer for a machine manufacturer, living with his wife, Vernon (sic) E. Gavin, age 39, married at age 29, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, living at a home they owned at 2036 Fratney Street. (A 1930 directory of Whitefish Bay lists George and Verona (sic) E. Gavin at 5100 North Fratney Street.) No children are listed in the household. The name of Fratney Street was changed to Elkhart Avenue in 1932. (In 1930, the streets had been recently renumbered. The original hard copy of the 1930 directory contained both the old and the new street numbering system, but the internet version of the directory, which was prepared in 2003, published only the new numbers.)
Gwendolen Gavin graduated from White Fish Bay High School in 1949 according to her profile on Classmates.
The 1910 census of Fond du Lac city, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, lists, at 190 Sheboygan Street, George L. Gavin, age 18, single, a draftsman in an architect's office, living with his parents, Stephen W. Gavin, age 47, married at age 23, born in Ireland, naturalized in 1894, a railroad engineer, and Emma A. Gavin, age 47, married at age 23, born in Wisconsin, to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Maine. Living with them were an older brother and sister of George (Isabel M., age 23, and Stephen W., age 20) and a younger sister (Hazel R., age 16).
The Eau Claire Leader of November 14, 1916, notes, on page 2, a class in the Industrial School in Eau Claire:
There is a class in machine drawing which meets every Wednesday evening in charge of Mr. George Gavin, draughtsman for the Phoenix Mfg. Co. to which are invited all machinists and pattern makers and any who may be interested in this course.
The Social Security Death index lists the death of George Gavin, born on July 5, 1891, whose social security card was issued in Wisconsin before 1951, in June of 1963 in Arizona.
Vernona Welsh Gavin died at age 52 on March 23, 1943. When Vernona died, George and Vernona Gavin lived at 5100 North Elkhart Avenue in Whitefish Bay, which is a village on Lake Michigan in the metropolitan Milwaukee area located about 6 miles north of downtown Milwaukee. Vernona was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery there on March 27, 1943. See: Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries.
Vernona's first name is sometimes mispelled as Verona in city directories and other documents. For example, this notice of her death appeared on page 2 of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune of March 24, 1943:
PAINTER DIES
Milwaukee—(AP)—Mrs. Verona Gavin, 52, whose paintings have been displayed at several exhibitions, died yesterday. She was a native of Eau Claire.
She appears in the Dictionary of Women Artists: An International dictionary of women artists born before 1800 by Chris Petteys (Boston, G.K. Hall & Co., 1985) as Verona E. Gavin., and her name is listed by the Museum of Wisconsin Art as Mrs. Verona Ellen Gavin (1891¬ ). Her floral painting that hangs in our home is signed V. E. Gavin. The catalogue of the International Water Color Exhibition - Ninth Year - From May Second to June Second Nineteen Twenty-Nine of the Art Institute of Chicago (#94 - Backyards) lists her correctly as Vernona E. Gavin.
Evelyn Eva Welsh (January 13, 1893–July 28, 1986), married Einar Phillip Johnson on August 9, 1918, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.* (See Relatives of Eau Claire, Wisconsin in the Dowling Family Genealogy on Rootsweb.). They had two children, Patricia and Dolores. In the 1920 census of Eau Claire, Evelyn Johnson, age 26, is listed as the married daughter of James P. Welsh (age 54, fire chief) and Evelyn Welsh (indexed by Ancestry.com as Walsh) and was living with her parents at 855 Grand Avenue East, with no husband or children listed, and her sister (my mother) Dorothy M. Welsh, age 18, who had attended school during the past year (T-625, roll 1984, page 3B, line 70).
*Einar P. Johnson served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Tank Corps in 1918 and 1919. In those years, Camp Colt on the site of the Gettysburg battlefield was used for Tank Corps recruit training prior to deployment in World War I. Camp Colt is regarded as the birthplace of of the Tank Corps of the United States Army, and the first commander of the tank training camp was Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower.
A correspondent called my attention to an entry in the Brides and Grooms Index - Eau Claire County, WI, that indicates that Evelyn E. Welsh and Einar P. Johnson were married in Eau Claire. Although both were legal residents of Eau Claire in 1918, the actual wedding ceremony was performed in Gettysburg. Any doubt about whether the marriage of Evelyn Welsh and Einar Johnson was at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, should be dispelled by this article from page 10 of the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, August 18, 1918:
"Lieut. Johnson - Welsh
"Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Welsh announced yesterday the marriage of their daughter Evelyn E. Welsh to Lieutenant Einar P. Johnson. The ceremony took place August 9, 1918, at Gettysburg, Pa., where the lieutenant as a member of the tank service is now stationed, and was performed by the Reverend W. F. Boyle of the St. Francis Xavier Church of Gettysburg. A limited furlough permitted a short honeymoon to Pen Mar in the High Rock Mountains (Maryland). For the present the pair will make their home at Gettysburg."
A listing in the Eau Claire Weddings Index published by the Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire lists the wedding of "L. T. Einarp (should be Lt. Einar) Johnson" and Evelyn E. Welsh in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on August 9, 1918.
Evelyn was back in Eau Claire before May 1, 1919. The Eau Claire Leader of that date included this item:
"Miscellaneous Shower
"Mrs. Einar Johnson and Miss Vernona Welsh entertained at a miscellaneous shower last evening in compliment to Miss Edith Elsemore."
Edith Elsemore married Evelyn's and Vernona's brother, William Wilfred Welsh, on May 19, 1919.
The 1920 census of Camp Meade, Anne Arundel county, Maryland, lists Lieutenant Einar P. Johnson, age 22, single (?), born in Wisconsin to a father born in Wisconsin (?) and a mother born in Norway, a commissioned officer in the United States Army Tank Corps (roll T625_653, page 29A, line 20). The information in the census return ties in with this article on page 10 of the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, February 17, 1918 (kindly sent me by Mary L. Mys of Appleton, Wisconsin):
"Soldier Shoots Antelope
"Miss Evelyn Welsh has received a mounted antelope's head, from Lieut. Einar Johnson, who got the antelope while hunting in the Rio Grande Valley."
My Aunt, Patricia Fossum, at age 91, sent me a note on July 11, 2011, that the animal Einar Johnson shot in Texas was a mountain lion, and that her Dad had never shot an antelope. She said that the head of the mountain lion was "mounted" with the skin attached, and the family used it as a rug when she was young. She and her sister used the rug with the head attached to play "riding the horse." Patricia also confirmed that her parents were married in Gettysburg.
The presence of Einar Johnson in Texas, where he shot the mountain lion (mistakenly identified in the newspaper as an antelope), is explained by this item from page 7 of the Eau Claire Leader of Sunday, August 26, 1917:
Lieut. Einar P. Johnson, who has been assigned duty with the regular army, left last night for a Texas encampment.
Evelyn's first husband, Einar P. Johnson, whom she married in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on August 9, 1918, became a Wisconsin state game warden in 1926. He died as a result of being shot by a poacher on May 16, 1929. His name appears on his gravestone as Einerth Phillip Johnson. (Find A Grave Memorial #69436939).
Here is an article from the website of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:
Conservation Warden Wall of Honor Einar P. Johnson 1896–1929 (Researched by Judith Borke, Wisconsin Conservation Warden Museum):
Einar P. Johnson was serving as conservation warden at Ladysmith, Rusk County, when he was shot by a game law violator on May 16, 1929. According to newspaper accounts, Johnson and his deputy, Allen Hanson, had stopped along a rural road north of town to check an empty car whose owners had been under suspicion for some time for trade of illegally-caught beaver hides. As the deputy was bringing a heavy sack he found out of the woods, the assailant stepped out of the woods and exchanged gun shots with Einar Johnson. The assailant's accomplice fled the scene. Johnson received abdominal wounds and died the next day. The assailant, from Finland, MN, was shot in the right lung and recovered. The assailant denied shooting first, but admitted that reaching for his gun precipitated the gunfire. Einar served as a conservation warden for two and a half years, and was 33 at the time of his death.
Einar grew up in Eau Claire, and after high school graduation entered World War I military service. He served in the tank corps, was commissioned in the regular Army, and was discharged as a first lieutenant. He and his wife, Evelyn, moved to Ladysmith when he became a warden. He was buried with military honors at Lake View Cemetery. Einar was survived by his widow, daughters Patricia and Dolores, his mother and three siblings.
In May, 1989, a memorial to Einar Johnson was dedicated at the Rusk County Law Enforcement Center in Ladysmith. The memorial is a black granite plaque that includes his picture, his years of service and the circumstances of his death. Einar's wife had since died, but his daughters came for the dedication on Law Enforcement Memorial Day. His name is engraved on the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial on the State Capitol grounds in Madison.
(Sources: Ladysmith News, May 17, 1929, p.1, and May 24, 1929; warden memorial reporting forms at Conservation Warden Museum at Poynette. Photos are also available at the museum.)
Here is a report from the Biennial report of the State Conservation Commission of Wisconsin for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1929, and June 30, 1930 (page 108):
On May 16, 1929 Warden Einar P. Johnson of Ladysmith and his assistant Allen Hanson, were following a car known to belong to a fur bootlegger whose activities were being watched by several wardens. The car was quite a distance ahead of the warden's car and when their car got to the top of a hill on a country road about nine miles north of Ladysmith, they saw that the car they were following had skidded and was partly in the ditch beside the road. They stopped their car and were walking toward the stalled car when a man came out of the woods to the car. The wardens were suspicious that he had gone into the woods to hide some furs, and Johnson asked Hanson to look for them.
While Hanson was searching, Johnson kept questioning the man whose name was Amio Maisio, of Finland, Minnesota, an associate of the fur bootlegger. After about 15 minutes, Hanson found a pack sack of furs and carried it to the road. While they were opening the pack sack Maisio jumped to one side of the stalled car, drew a gun and started to shoot. Johnson was shot through the groin, the .45 calibre bullet also breaking his left hip, but he drew his own gun and shot Maisio through the body while he was trying to escape. Hanson was unarmed and went to a nearby farm house for help.
When he returned, Johnson had left, walking a quarter of a mile through the woods to a farm from where he had been taken to the hospital at Ladysmith. He died the following day.
When Hanson returned to the car he found that the owner of the car had returned, had abandoned his comrade, and had fled. He got way into another state.
Maisio was taken to Ladysmith, first to the hospital, from where he was taken to the county jail to await trial for murder. The case was tried in circuit court in the fall term of 1929, and Maisio was found guilty of third degree manslaughter and was given the maximum sentence. He is now serving a seven year sentence in the state penitentiary at Waupun.
Warden Johnson exhibited good judgment in this case. He had no reason to believe that the man would start to shoot, and had no right to search the man for a gun until an arrest had been made. It is an unfortunate condition in officers' work that under most circumstances an officer cannot shoot first.
On page 5 of this biennial report is an In Memoriam that includes Einar P. Johnson, May 1929, Conservation Warden.
In 1930, Evelyn Welsh Johnson was a widow who was living in Eau Claire with her parents on Grand Avenue East, with her two daughters. The listing in the 1930 census of Eau Claire was:
(1930) James Welsh, age 65, married at age 25, owner of real estate worth $5500, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Nova Scotia and a mother born in New York, fire chief, City Fire Department (roll 2571, page 3B, line 67).
Evelyn Welsh, wife, age 60, married at age 20, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Holland, no occupation.
Evelyn Johnson, daughter, age 37, married at age 25, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, no occupation.
Patricia Johnson, grand-daughter, age 9, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. [Patricia E. Johnson was born in Eau Claire on May 25, 1920. She married Arnold Jens Fossum on September 10, 1948. Arthur was born in Wisconsin on May 26, 1918, died in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 20, 2006, and was buried at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. He served as a Captain in the United States Army in World War II. On July 1, 2011, the widow Patricia Fossum was 91 years old and living in Big Fork, Minnesota.]
Dolores Johnson, grand-daughter, age 7, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. [Dolores was born in Eau Claire on October 24, 1922. She married Vern Boetcher in Wisconsin Rapids on February 21, 1949, and died at the age of 87 in Altoona, Wisconsin, on December 20, 2009. Her obituary appeared in the Eau Claire Leader Telegram of December 23, 2009.]
Evelyn Welsh Johnson married her second husband, Franzo Julius Bleichrodt, in Altoona, Wisconsin, on October 12, 1943. They were divorced in Eau Claire in 1958. He died in Eau Claire on October 29, 1980. Evelyn Welsh Johnson Bleichrodt, died in Eau Claire on July 28, 1986. She is buries in the Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire, with her first husband, Einar Johnson. Her name is recorded on their common gravestone as Evelyn Bleichrodt. (Find A Grave Memorial #69436939).
William Winfred Welsh (March 15, 1896–March 12, 1972), married Edith Cora Elsemore in Eau Claire on May 21, 1919. Here is the wedding announcement from page 8 of the Eau Claire Leader of May 22, 1919:
Elsemore-Welsh
Sergeant William W. Welsh, son of Fire Chief and Mrs. J. P. Welsh, and Miss Edith Cora Elsemore were united in marriage at 8 o'clock yesterday morning at St. Patrick's church. Reverend A. B. C. Dunne officiated. The bride wore a gown of white georgette, a veil of tuile made cap effect and a shower bouquet of bride's roses. The groom was attended by his brother-in-law, Lieutenant Einar Johnson. Miss Doris Elsemore, sister of the bride, acted as bridesmaid . . . .
Following the marriage ceremony, a wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Elsemore, 528 Hobart street to twenty guests. The couple left for Park Falls and Minneapolis to spend their honeymoon. They will return to the city in about ten days and will be at home at 125 Bellinger street. The groom was a top sergeant in Co. E for more than a year and took part in some of the heaviest fighting in which Eau Claire's Red Arrows took part. He returned to this city March 8. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Elsemore of Park Falls, Wis.
William W. (Keek) Welsh and Edith Elsemore (Tudie) Welsh had 6 children: James Patrick, William E., Thomas Lowell, Marilyn (Sister Vernona), Doris L, and Richard D. Doris L. Welsh was born in 1827, and died as an infant on June 21, 1929. She is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire. Find A Grave Memorial #135810164. The rest of the family is listed in the 1930 census of Eau Claire at 915 Barland Street. (The same family is listed at the same address under the surname Welch in the 1940 census.)
(1930) William Welsh, age 33, age at marriage 23, born in Wisconsin, father and mother born in Wisconsin, fireman, City Fire Department, veteran of WWI. (listed as 44 in he 1940 census with the same occupation)
Edith Welsh (wife), age 35, age at marriage 25, born in Wisconsin, father born in Michigan, mother born in Wisconsin. (listed as 42 in the 1940 census)
James P. Welsh (son), age 10, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. (listed as 20 in the 1940 census)
William E. Welsh (son), age 8, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. (listed as 18 in the 1940 census) [born on November 3, 1921; died on April 9, 1957].
Thomas L. Welsh (son), age 6, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. (listed as 17 in the 1940 census) [born on August 3, 1923; died on February 24, 2008]
Marilyne Welsh (daughter), age 4, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. (name is spelled Marilyn in the 1940 census; listed as 14 in the 1940 census) [born September 5, 1925; died on November 15, 2001, in Eau Claire]
Richard D. Welsh (son), age 4 months, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin. (listed as 11 in the 1940 census) [born May 18, 1929; did in Eau Claire on Dcember 11, 2011]
Belle Hazen (female servant), age 46, a widow, born in Wisconsin to a father born in France and a mother born Williamin Wisconsin. (not listed in the Welsh home in the 1940 census).
Sergeant William W. Welsh served in combat in France in World War I as a member of Company E, 127 Infantry. There is a letter from him to his mother, written on July 18, 1918, while he was in France in the Eau Claire Leader of of August 6, 1918 (page 6), describing some of his experiences. in France. The following partially redacted sentence of the letter probably refers to his brother-in-law to be, Einar P. Johnson:
I don't expect ____(Einar?)____ will be very long in the states now, since he got in the tank service. I think he made a wise move when he got out of the 37th Infantry.
Before World War I, William Welsh and Einar Johnson served together in Company E, Third Regiment, of the Wisconsin National Guard. They were both Sergeants in 1916. In the December 15, 1916, edition of the Eau Claire Leader, both men are pictured in two group photographs on page 3 under the titles: Eau Claire's Gallant Soldiers, Company E and Commissioned and Non.-Com. Officers. The photographs were apparently taken shortly before their return to Eau Claire from an extended encampment at Camp Wilson, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The Eau Claire Leader of May 25, 1917, page 5, announced that Sergeant Einar Johnson has been transferred from Company E to the Reserve Officers Training Camp at Fort Sheridan, Chicago. The January 30, 1918 edition of the Eau Claire Leader, page 8, reported that William W. Welsh, a member of Company E, had recently been promoted from the rank of sergeant to top-sergeant.
Here is part of an article from the Eau Claire Leader of March 12, 1919 (page 5) that reported the return of Sergeant William W. Welsh from World War I:
First Sergeant William W. Welsh of Company E has returned home -- the only member of the Wisconsin Infantry company who has come back unwounded. Sergeant Welsh is the son of Fire Chief J. P. Welsh. Although once he was blown six feet in the air by the concussion of a shell he escaped without a scratch. He was with Company E during all its hottest fighting leaving the unit October 23 to attend an officers' training school at La Valle Bonne. He was with the company in Alsace and in the campaigns of Chateau Thierry, Chavigny, and the Argonne wood.
The company had its fiercest fighting when it conquered Prussian guardsman at Chateau Thierry. It got more bayonet-fighting than in any other campaign. However, for ferocity of fighting there was little to choose between Chateau Thierry and the Argonne wood and in the latter campaign the men underwent severe hardships from wet weather as well. At Chateau Thierry, the company has sixty-seven casualties on a single day, August 1. Sergeant Welsh saw many of the men fall.
James Patrick Welsh (my first cousin), the oldest son of William and Edith Welsh, a sergeant in the United States Army, was killed near Buna, New Guinea in World War II, on November 21, 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
"SGT James P. Welsh, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and assigned to Co. B, 128TH Inf., earned the Silver Star, posthumously, for his actions on 21 November near Buna. He continued to lead his men during the attack, even after being WIA multiple times, until he collapsed. He was a PFC in Co. B, 128TH Inf., Wisconsin National Guard, at Eau Claire, WI, when 32D Div. mobilized on 15 Oct. '40." The 32D Infantry Division in World War II — The ‘Red Arrow’ Papuan Campaign — The Battle of Buna.
James P. "Pat" Welsh was buried in the cemetery at Fort William McKinley (block F, row 7, grave 91), Manila, Philippines. There is a memorial stone in Forest Hill Cemetery, Eau Claire. Find A Grave Memorial #90955537.
Here is an entry from the 32d 'Red Arrow' Veteran Association World War II Roll of Honor:
"Welsh, James P. 'Pat; SGT; 128th Inf. Regt., Co. B; Eau Claire, WI; KIA 21-Nov-42; born 1920 at WI; father William W. Welsh, 915 Barland St., Eau Claire, WI; was PFC in Co. B, 128TH Inf. at Eau Claire, WI on 15 Oct. '40; SN 20649070; earned Silver Star (posthumously) for his actions 21 Nov. '42 near Buna; KIA 21 Nov. '42 near Buna, same attack as SGT Herbert E. Smith from same unit and hometown; also awarded Purple Heart; father was WWI Veteran; brother Thomas L. Welsh survived the sinking of the Hornet; interred at Manila American Cemetery; also memorialized at Forest Hill Cemetery, Eau Claire, WI."
James' brother, Thomas Lowell Welsh, an Aviation Radio Man Second Class in the United States Navy, was a survivor of the sinking of the aircraft carrier Hornet and a veteran of a number of major battles in the South Pacific. Thomas L. Welsh died on February 4, 2008, at he age of 84 in a veteran's home near Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. For a biography and a photograph of him in his naval aviator garb, go to Find A Grave Memorial #25906765.
Another brother, William E. Welsh (1921–1987) served as an Ensign in the U. S. Navy in World War II. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Eau Claire.
For several articles on the World War II combat experience of Sgt. James P. Welsh; his brother, Aviation Radio Man Second Class (USNR) Thomas L. Welsh, who flew as a radioman and gunner off aircraft carriers and who survived the sinking of the aircraft carrier Hornet; and their brother Ensign William E. Welsh, Naval Aviation Cadet, go to Chippewa Valley's Contribution to World War II by Harold (Diz) Kronenberg.
Their sister, Marilyn Welsh, entered the Order of St. Benedict as a nun. Her gravestone in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire, reads:
SISTER MARILYN WELSH O S B
BORN SEPT 5 1925
PROFESSED JULY 11 1946
DIED NOV 15 2001
Find A Grave Memorial #19450910.
The younger brother in the family of Keek and Tudie Welsh, Richard D. "Dick" Welsh died at the age of 82 on December 17, 2011, in Eau Claire. Here is part of the obituary in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram of December 19, 2011:
Welsh, Richard D. "Dick", age 82, of Eau Claire died Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the Syverson Home in Eau Claire.
He was born on May 18, 1929 in Eau Claire to former Eau Claire Fire Chief William W. "Keek" Welsh and Edith C. "Tudie" (nee Elsemore) Welsh. Dick attended St. Patrick's Schools graduating in 1947. For several years, he worked for Allis Chalmers in Milwaukee before returning to Eau Claire to care for his parents. From 1972 until his retirement in 1994, Dick worked for Consumer Co-Op and Midland Gas as a station manager. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and snowmobiling.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and five siblings, Sgt. James Pat Welsh, Bill Welsh, Doris Welsh, Tom Welsh and Sr. Marilyn Welsh, O.S.B.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1712 Highland Avenue. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. ...
Dorothy Magdalene Welsh (February 15, 1901–September 3, 1979), my mother. The Eau Claire Leader of June 21, 1919, reported on page 2, under the headline E. C. High School Graduates Third Largest Class:
Sixty students, the third largest class to be graduated from the Eau Claire high school, received their diplomas before a packed house at the Auditorium last evening. . . .
Miss Dorothy M. Welsh, winner of the first honors in the class, spoke eloquently of the glory of the Thirty-second Division and its triumph of democracy against militarism.
The article lists Richard McGough, my father, among the members of the graduating class.
As we grew up in Seattle, my mother often told us the story of the drowning of a young girl in the Chippewa River that was reported on page 5 of the Eau Claire Leader of July 31, 1919:
Chippewa Falls Girl Drowns in Dells Pond Here
Ethel Barrington, 15, Loses Life When Bathing at Foot of North Dewey Street
Ethel, 15 year old daughter of E. P. Barrington of Chippewa Falls, was drowned in the Dells Pond at the foot of North Dewey Street, shortly before 8 o'clock last evening.
She had gone bathing with five of her girl friends from the normal school and was the only one of the party who could not swim. She jumped from the end of a spring board where the water was not beyond her depth intending to duck. The beach shelves abruptly to a depth of several feet at the place where she landed.
Miss Marie Ray and Miss Dorothy Welsh, both expert swimmers, seized her but were unable to rescue her.
"She clasped me around the neck," said Miss Welsh, "and once I caught her with my hand outstretched, but a girl, trying to help us both, pulled me away. But it was such a little way from shore where she went down the third time, 10 feet perhaps, surely less than 20."
Marie Ray, Dorothy Welsh, Arlene Halbleib, Helen Whipple, Edna Wickham and Marie Lennie ran up the hill and gave the alarm.
The fire department, launches, and boats from the Badger Boat club and numerous divers were on the spot within a few moments. For more than an hour and a half they searched the powerful eddies. Nearly 45 feet from shore in a line with the fatal spring board, Chief Welsh found the body, which was taken to the home of D. O. Ray, 604 North Dewey street. Mrs. Barrington with her two other daughters, who with Ethel were students at the normal school, arrived shortly after. Mr. Barrington is working in Superior.
Today would have completed Ethel's course in summer school. She graduated from the Chippewa Falls high school last June.
In the 1930 census of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, Dorothy M. Welsh, age 29, single, born in Wisconsin to parents born in Wisconsin, a teacher in public schools, was listed as a roomer in the home of Stella M. Grady at 610 Dayton Avenue (roll 1118, page 1A, line 18).
Patricia Eva Welsh (September 17, 1912¬January 28, 1913).
Here is a death notice for the Eau Claire Leader of January 29, 1913:
Patricia, the infant daughter of Fire Chief Welsh, died yesterday after a short illness, at the age of four months.
The 1900 census of Eau Claire lists, on Grand Avenue East, James P. Welsh, age 35, born in March of 1865, married 10 years, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Canada and mother born in Wisconsin, "electrician for city", owner of home free of mortgage; Evaline Welsh, born in July, 1870, in Wisconsin, to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Holland, married 10 years, mother of 3 children, 3 living; Vernona, age 9, born in March, 1891, in Wisconsin; Evaline, age 7, born in January, 1893, in Wisconsin; and William, age 4, born in May, 1896, in Wisconsin. Also living with the family was a niece: Mary Welsh, age 4 months, born in January, 1900, in Wisconsin, to parents born in Wisconsin. Mary was the new born daughter of Wilfred M. and Mary Welsh who had been born on January 31, 1900. Her mother died at her birth. Her brother, Chester, who was 2 years old, and sister Amelia (Millie), who was one year old, was staying with their grandmother, Henrietta Marie Beckwith Slaughter Welsh Munes, and her third husband, Peter Munes, at this same time. See "Peter Munes" in the preceding section. Mary Welsh became a Benedictine nun and died in St. Bede's Priory in Eau Claire on May 30, 1988.
For more on the early history of the Welsh (aka Walsh) family, see: The Descendants of James and Ellen Walsh by Kingsley Walsh.
In 1994, the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire published Settlement & Survival: Building Towns in the Chippewa Valley, 1850–1925. This informative 128 page book (ISBN 0-9636191-1-X) is available for $15.00 by mail order from the Chippewa Valley Museum Press.
My first cousin, Bill Erickson, son of my father's younger sister Rose McGough, was kind enough to send me a copy. He called my attention to a full page picture at page 110 entitled Welsh family Christmas, 1920. At the left of the photograph is Dorothy Magdalene Welsh, my mother, and at the right is Thomas Richard McGough, my father. My parents were married almost ten years later, on September 11, 1930, in Seattle. (I was born in Seattle 9 months later on June 9, 1931.)
Also in the photograph, from left to right, are Evelyn Welsh, my grandmother; Einar Johnson, husband of my mother's sister Evelyn Welsh Johnson; William (Keek) Welsh, my mother's brother; uncle Keek's wife, Edith (Tudie) Elsmore Welsh; Evelyn Welsh Johnson, my mother's sister; baby Patricia Johnson, daughter of Einar and Evelyn Welsh Johnson; George Gavin, husband of my mother's sister Vernona Welsh Gavin; James Patrick Welsh, my grandfather; baby James Patrick Welsh III, son of Keek and Tudie Welsh; and Vernona (Nonie) Welsh Gavin, my mother's sister and wife of George Gavin.
The caption under the photograph reads:
Welsh family Christmas, 1920. From the left, Dot Welsh, Evelyn Welsh with hands over face, Einar Johnson, Keek Welsh, Judie (sic) Welsh, Evie Johnson with baby Patricia, George Gavin, James P. Welsh holding James P. Welsh III, Nonie Gavin, Richard McGough. Delores Boettcher Collection.
Catherine McGough's parents, Patrick Fitzpatrick (1812–1862) and Margaret McGran Fitzpatrick (1820 [or perhaps 1814]–September 21, 1887) were both born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States sometime before the birth of their daughter Catherine in New York (or Pennsylvania) in 1836.
Fitzpatrick was a common name in county Monaghan in the 1800s. Here are the comments about the family name in The Monaghan Story by Father Peadar Livingstone:
"FITZPATRICK (Mac Giolla Phadraig): This is the only Gaelic family with a 'fitz' prefix. Some of them may have descended from the Maguire Fitzpatricks of Fermanagh but most are probably of local origin. The distribution of this, the County's 32nd family, is 39N, 41W, 64C, and 21S." (page 592).
"Some of the County's Fitzpatricks may be imports from Maguire's Fermanagh, but since the family is common in the centre and south of the County, it is likely that some of them descended from Giolla Padraig, grandson of Hugh Rua, the progenitor of the Farney MacMahons." (Page 70).
This last statement leads to some interesting speculation since, in his immediately preceding sentence, Livingstone suggests that Eochaid MacMahon, nephew of Ardghal MacMahon, a chieftain of the Farney McMahons who died in 1416, may have been the progenitor of the McGeoughs in county Monaghan. (pages 69–70). If nothing else, this suggests that my great-grandfather John McGough and the Fitzpatricks may have been part of a community of south Ulstermen in Pennsylvania.
The 1850 federal census of Pennsylvania shows, as of September 28, 1850, the family of Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick in Norwegian township (page 432), Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. Norwegian township is just north of the town of Pottsville, and lies between the town of Pottsville and Cass township. Residents of the household are listed as follows:
| Age | Sex | Occupation | Place of Birth | Other | |
| Patrick Fitzpatrick | 38 | M | Miner | Ireland | |
| Margaret Fitzpatrick | 30 | F | Ireland | Cannot read or write English | |
| Catharine Fitzpatrick | 14 | F | Pennsylvania | No notation that she attended school within the year. (The place of birth probably should be New York.) | |
| Philip | 12 | M | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year. (The place of birth probably should be New York.) | |
| Rosannah | 10 | F | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year | |
| Hugh | 5 | M | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year | |
| James | 3 | M | Pennsylvania | ||
| John | 3/12 | M | Pennsylvania | ||
| Michael McGran | 20 | M | Laborer | Ireland |
Michael McGran was probably a younger brother of Margaret McGran Fitzpatrick.
The 1860 federal census, as of July 13, 1860, of Reilly township page (741), Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, shows the family still in Pennsylvania. Reilly township is west of the town of Pottsville, not far from Norwegian township. Reilly township is on the western border of Cass township. Norwegian township is on the southern border of Cass township. Here is the family as it is listed in the 1860 census:
| Age | Sex | Occupation | Place of Birth | Other | |
| Patrick Fitzpatrick | 40 | M | Miner | Ireland | To be consistent with the 1850 census, the age should be 47 or 48. |
| Margaret Fitzpatrick | 39 | F | Ireland | ||
| Catherine | 23 | F | Domestic | New York | Catherine's place of birth in the 1850 census was listed as Pennsylvania. Other information on this page indicates that she married John McGough and moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in 1856. |
| Philip | 21 | M | Miner | Pennsylvania | |
| Rosean | 19 | F | Pennsylvania | Her name was spelled Rosannah in the 1850 census. | |
| Hugh | 15 | M | Pennsylvania | (No notation that he attended school within the year.) | |
| James | 13 | M | Pennsylvania | (No notation that he attended school within the year.) | |
| John | 10 | M | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year. | |
| Patt | 8 | M | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year. | |
| Margaret | 5 | F | Pennsylvania | Attended school within the year. | |
| Michael | 1 | M | Pennsylvania |
Here is the family as listed in the 1880 census of Eau Claire:
| Name | Age | Sex | Relationship | Occupation | Place of Birth | Father's Place of Birth | Mother's Place of Birth |
| Margaret Fitzpatrick | 76 | F | Keeping House | Ireland | Ireland | Ireland | |
| Patrick Fitzpatrick | 25 | M | Son | Laborer | Pennsylvania | Ireland | Ireland |
| Michael Fitzpatrick | 21 | M | Son | Laborer | Pennsylvania | Ireland | Ireland |
| John Fitzpatrick | 27 | M | Son | Carpenter | Pennsylvania | Ireland | Ireland |
| Ellen Fitzpatrick | 21 | F | Wife | At Home | Wisconsin | Ireland | Ireland |
The Schuylkill County PAGenWeb has published a map of the townships of Schuylkill County.
The Eau Claire Leader of May 20, 1898, reported the death of Phillip Fitzpatrick:
Phillip Fitzpatrick Dead
At 10:30 last night occurred the death of Phillip Fitzpatrick, a well known resident of Eau Claire County. Mr. Fitzpatrick conducted a dairy business here for years, his farm is in the Town of Washington, just beyond the city limits. The deceased was 60 years old and leaves a wife. Bright's disease was the cause of death. Mr. Fitzpatrick was the brother of John, James, Michael and Patrick Fitzpatrick of this city, and Hugh Fitzpatrick of Superior. He was a member of the Catholic knights of this city. The funeral arrangements will be announced later.
For some limited genealogical information on the family of Patrick Fitzpatrick and Margaret McGran, see the Miley Family Tree on Ancestry.com.
Patrick and Catherine Fitzpatrick followed their daughter Catherine, and her cousin Patrick, from Pottsville, Pennsylvania to Eau Claire in 1861. Catherine's father, Patrick, died in Eau Claire on April 13, 1862, the year after the probable date of his arrival in Eau Claire, and is buried in St. Patrick's cemetery in Eau Claire. There is a photograph of his gravestone on Ancestry.com. At one time, I assumed that the Patrick Fitzpatrick who was in Eau Claire at the time of John McGough's naturalization in 1857 was Catherine's brother. The 1850 and 1860 censuses show that Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick had a son Patrick, but that he was born 1852. This means that there was a third Patrick Fitzpatrick, and I am now assuming that this third Patrick was a cousin of Catherine Fitzpatrick. The Eau Claire City Directory for 1893–94 shows Patrick Fitzpatrick, a paperhanger, as boarding at 519 Barstow Street, Catherine McGough's long time home. This was probably Catherine's younger brother, but may have been Catherine's mysterious "cousin." Hugh McGough, my grandfather and son of John and Catherine Fitzpatrick McGough, was also living there.
The children of Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick were:
Catherine Fitzpatrick (McGough) (1836–July 16, 1891), my great grandmother.
Philip Fitzpatrick (April 15, 1838–May 19, 1898). Married to Emily A. Donaldson. Philip Fitzpatrick died in Eau Claire on May 19, 1898. His death certificate is the only direct reference I have to his mother's maiden name, Margaret McGran. His death certificate shows Philip's birthplace as New York. This raises the possibility that both he and his older sister Catherine were born in New York. The death certificate is in the Register of Deeds, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, Deaths, volume 1, page 322. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index records that Philip Fitzpatrick died in Eau Claire on May 19, 1898. Philip's obituary appeared in the May 20, 1898, edition of the Eau Claire Daily Telegram:
"At 10:30 last night occurred the death of Phillip Fitzpatrick, a well known resident of Eau Claire County. Mr. Fitzpatrick conducted a dairy business for years. His farm is in the town of Washington just beyond the city limits. The deceased was 60 years old and leaves a wife. Bright's disease was the cause of death. Mr. Fitzpatrick was a brother of John, James, Michael and Patrick Fitzpatrick of this city, and Hugh Fitzpatrick of Superior. He was a member of the Catholic Knights of this city. The funeral arrangements will be announced later."
A son, Fred Fitzpatrick, was born to Philip Fitzpatrick and Emily Donaldson in Eau Claire. Fred Fitzpatrick married Bessie Hoyt in Eau Claire on May 13, 1902. A birth certificate in the Register of Deeds, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Births, reel 63, number 1383, shows that Helene Irene Fitzpatrick was born to Fred Fitzpatrick, a farmer, and Bessie J. Hoyt on August 22, 1902, in Ludington, Eau Claire county, Wisconsin. Philip's birth place is listed as New York, and Emily's as Ludington, Wisconsin. In 1910, Philip's widow, Emily, was residing with her son, Fred Fitzpatrick, at 411 Washington in Eau Claire.
Rosanah Fitzpatrick (Mooney) (1840–March 5, 1868), married William T. Mooney, probably before 1863. John and Catherine McGough deeded 100 acres of land to a William Mooney in 1863.
Joe Flynn, a native of Eau Claire, sent me an email on May 30, 2000, with this information:
"The marriage record for my great grandparents on my father's mother's side shows that one of the witnesses at the marriage of Andrew Conley to Mary McKernan was 'Rose Anna Fitzpatrick, daughter of Patrick & Margaret Fitzpatrick.' That wedding took place at St. Patrick's parish on May 1, 1866. At that time both the Conley and McKernan families were living in the township of Pleasant Valley, south of Eau Claire."
Rosannah Fitzpatrick Mooney's obituary appeared in the Eau Claire Free Press of March 5, 1868:
"Died.
"At her home on Truax Prairie, by falling into the well, Rosanah Fitz Patrick, wife of Wm. Mooney. The deceased came here from Pottsville, Pa., some seven or eight years since and it is due to her memory and worth to say something of her life. She was ever remarkable for her quiet and affectionate disposition, or her moderate and gentle demeanor towards all. While a member of Mr. Putnam's family (four and a half years) she occupied the position of friend and companion, never having given or received an unkind word, and by her faithfulness and devotion through periods of sickness and death, endeared herself by the strongest ties of affection and sympathy. Her's was a friendship that could not be bought or sold. Entirely free from selfish motives. Her kind disposition and affable manners won for her the highest respect of a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who sympathize deeply with her husband and relatives in this sudden and afflictive bereavement. Faithful and true. May she rest in peace."
After the death of his first wife, William T. Mooney may have married Roseanne McManus (born about 1859), the oldest daughter of Daniel McManus and Ann McGough. Roseanne McManus Mooney gave birth to a son, William F. Mooney, in 1875 or 1876. Ann McGough McManus was born in Pennsylvania. Her parents were born in Ireland. Daniel McManus was born in Ireland, married Ann McGough in Pennsylvania, and moved with his family to Eau Claire in 1865 or 1866.
Hugh Fitzpatrick (1845–). The 1880 federal census of Eau Claire shows the family of Hugh Fitzpatrick, age 33, born in Pennsylvania, an engineer, whose mother and father were born in Ireland; his wife Mary Fitzpatrick, age 26, and two daughter, Rose, age 8, and Cora, age 4, both born in Wisconsin. Other directories show that this Hugh Fitzpatrick who was the son of Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick was an engineer, so this is doubtless their son. The obituary of Philip Fitzpatrick, brother of Hugh, who died in 1898, refers to Hugh Fitzpatrick as a resident of Superior, Wisconsin. On December 15, 1873, the land office in Eau Claire issue a patent for 160 acres in Price county to Hugh Fitzpatrick: NE 36/ 39-N 1-E No 4th PM - 1831 MN/WI WI Price County. (Accession/Serial #: WI0290__.055 BLM Serial #: WI NO S/N, Bureau of Land Management General Land Records.
James Fitzpatrick (1847–1931). Married Ann (Annie) Murphy who was born in Wisconsin and who died of pneumonia in Eau Claire on January 23, 1892. She is buried with other Fitzpatricks in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire, next to Matthew C. Ralph, 1856–1887, and Everett Ralph, 1886–1886. Register of Deeds, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Deaths, volume 1, page 86. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index records the death of Ann Fitzpatrick in Eau Claire on January 23, 1892. Joe Flynn tells me that Matthew Ralph's wife's name was Margaret "Maggie" Murphy. She was a sister of Annie Murphy Fitzpatrick, and thus Annie and Matthew were brother-in-law and sister-in-law. After the death of Anna Murphy Fitzpatrick in 1892, James Fitzpatrick married Rose Riley in about 1896. The 1900 census of Eau Claire, lists James and Rose Fitzpatrick at 952 Madison Street. James was listed as age 52, born in April, 1848, in Pennsylvania, to parents born in Ireland, an engineer. Rose was listed as his wife, age 35, born in November, 1864, in Connecticut, to parents born in Ireland, married 4 years, no children. (T-623, roll 1788, page 12B, line 54). The couple is also listed in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses of Eau Claire. James Fitzpatrick died in Eau Claire on March 3, 1931, and Rose Murphy Fitzpatrick died in Eau Claire on February 23, 1939. Joe Flynn was kind enough to send me these copies of their death certificates:
Name: James Fitzpatrick
Sex, Race, Status: M,W, married
Date and place of birth: April 2, 1850, Penn.
Date and place of death: March 3, 1931, Eau Claire, WI.
Age & occupation: 80, common laborer
Spouse: Rose
Informant: Mrs. James Fitzpatrick
Parents: Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick
Cause of death: Acute enteritis
Doctor: Dr. Flynn, MD [no relation to Joe Flynn]
Burial: St Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire
Source: Eau Claire County Deaths, Vol. 28, p.114Name: Rose T Fitzpatrick
Maiden name: Riley
Sex, race, status: F,W, widowed
Date and place of birth: Nov 24, 1852, Ireland
Date and place of death: Feb 23, 1939, Eau Claire, WI
Age & occupation: 86, housewife
Spouse: James
Informant: Sacred Heart Hospital
Parents: Thomas Riley & Mary Monahan
Cause of death: Fracture of left hip, senility
Hospital: Sacred Heart, Eau Claire
Burial: St Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire
Source: Eau Claire County Deaths, Vol.36 - p.66.(The Pre 1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI lists the death of a James Fitzpatrick on November 23, 1902—obviously a different James Fitzpatrick.)
Joe Flynn also sent me copies of the obituaries of James and Rose Fitzpatrick:
James Fitzpatrick Obituary—Published in the Eau Claire Leader on 4 March 1931—James Fitzpatrick passed away early Tuesday afternoon at his home on East Madison street after a short illness. Mr. Fitzpatrick had been a resident of Eau Claire for several years, coming to this city when a young man. For many years he was employed as a fireman by the Wisconsin Refrigerator Co. and later was employed by the Dells Paper and Pulp Co. He was a member of St. Patrick's church and a brother of the late John and Phillip Fitzpatrick of this city.
He is survived by his widow, two nephews, H. J. McGough, and Ralph J. Fitzpatrick; five nieces, Misses Kate and Bernadine Fitzpatrick, Mrs. William H. Barnes, Mrs. F. J. Brandl of this city, and Mrs. F. E. Bolman of Minneapolis.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 8 o'clock from the residence, 1114 E. Madison St., and at St. Patrick's church at 8:30 a.m.
Correction—Published in the Eau Claire Leader on March 5, 1931—The funeral of the late James Fitzpatrick will be held Saturday morning at 8:00 o'clock at the residence and at 8:30 at St. Patrick's church. Note change of date.
Rose Fitzpatrick Obituary—from Eau Claire Leader, February 24, 1939—Mrs. Rose Fitzpatrick, 1412 East Madison St, died Thursday afternoon at Sacred heart Hospital, where she had been confined for several months. Funeral services will be held at Sacred Heart Church Saturday morning. The Rosary will be said at Fleming's tonight at 8:00 PM. She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Frank Vinopal, Augusta, and several nieces and nephews.
John Arthur Fitzpatrick (1850–1905). Married Ellen (Nellie) McGrath, daughter of Christopher and Mary Ann McGrath, in a Catholic ceremony in Eau Claire on May 3, 1880. The marriage certificate shows John's occupation as a carpenter and his birthplace as Pennsylvania. Register of Deeds, Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, Marriages, volume 1, page 386 (certificate #1538). The only listed witness to the marriage was John McGough. The 1880 census, above, shows John Fitzpatrick and his wife, Ellen McGrath Fitzpatrick, living with John's Mother, Margaret Fitzpatrick. Their fifth, or perhaps sixth, child, Ralph James Fitzpatrick, was born in Eau Claire on October 9, 1896. His father's occupation is shown as "foreman" and the father's place of birth is shown as Eau Claire. The place of birth should have been shown as Pennsylvania. The birth place of his mother is also shown as Eau Claire. The names of other issue living born of the same parents are shown as: Kati, Mary, Albert and Mildred. Register of Deeds, Eau Claire Co., Wisconsin, Births, reel 62, no. 1512. A daughter, Bernadine Fitzpatrick, was born to the same parents in Eau Claire on May 20, 1900. This birth certificate shows the father's occupation as laborer and his place of birth as Pennsylvania. The mother's place of birth is shown as New York. The names of other issue living, born of the same parents, are listed as: Katie, Mary, Louise, Bert, Mildred and Ralph. Register of Deeds, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Births, reel 63, no. 1202. Ellen Fitzpatrick (1857–1927) is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire next to John Fitzpatrick, and she is doubtless the Ellen McGrath who married John Arthur Fitzpatrick.
Patrick Fitzpatrick (1852–). Born in Pennsylvania. He is shown as age 25 in the 1880 census, of Eau Claire, living with his mother Margaret Fitzpatrick.
Margaret (Maggie) Fitzpatrick (Mary A.?) (1855–May 8, 1902) was born in Pennsylvania, and died in Eau Claire in 1902 of chronic Bright's disease (kidney malfunction). In the Eau Claire City Directory 1880, Mary A (Maggie?) Fitzpatrick is listed as a domestic for A. Meggett. Alexander Meggett, a notary public, witnessed several documents filed in the probate of the estate of Margaret Fitzpatrick in 1888 and 1889. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index records the death of Maggie Fitzpatrick in Eau Claire on May 8, 1902. Her death certificate lists Patrick and Margaret Fitzpatrick as her parents. Register of Deeds, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, Deaths, volume 2, page 30. Maggie is not mentioned in the will of Margaret Fitzpatrick. Normally, a living child would be mentioned. Alexander A. Meggett was Eau Claire' s first resident lawyer. who settled there in July of 1857. Charles Smith Bundy, in the article cited above, Early Days In The Chippewa Valley—1831–1928, mentions him as one of four Eau Claire lawyers who stood out. The Meggett Papers, 1839–1951 in the Area Research Center of the McIntyre Library of the University of Wisconsin—include his biography.
Michael Fitzpatrick (1859–). Born in Pennsylvania.
Catherine and Philip may have been born in New York. The other children were all born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania.
The Eau Claire City Directory 1880 shows Margaret Fitzpatrick, widow of Patrick, residing at the southeast corner of Barstow and Newton together with these other Fitzpatricks: Annie (James' wife); James, a teamster with Bangs & Fish; John, a carpenter; Michael, a lumberman; and Patrick, a laborer at NW Lumber Co. John, Michael and Patrick are shown as boarders. The others are shown as residents. Hugh is shown residing elsewhere and is listed as an engineer at Bangs & Fish, where James worked as a teamster.
The 1880 federal census of Eau Claire shows a residence composed of: Margaret Fitzpatrick age 76, born In Ireland, keeping house; her son, Patrick Fitzpatrick, age 25, born in Pennsylvania, Laborer; her son, Michael Fitzpatrick, age 21, laborer; her son, John Fitzpatrick, age 27, carpenter; and daughter-in-law, Ellen Fitzpatrick, age 21, "at home." All the children were shown as being born in Pennsylvania to parents who were both born in Ireland. The daughter-in-law must be the Ellen (Nellie) McGrath whom John Fitzpatrick had married in Eau Claire on May 3, 1880. She is also shown as having been born in Pennsylvania to parents born in Ireland.
At the time of her death at the age of 73 on September 21, 1887, Margaret Fitzpatrick was living with her daughter, and my great-grandmother, Catherine McGough, at 519 South Barstow Street (corner of Barstow and Jones). The Eau Claire Daily Free Press of September 22, 1887, reported:
Death of an Old Resident
"Mrs. Margaret Fitzpatrick who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John McGue, corner Barstow and Jones, was an early settler in Eau Claire, having come here from Pottsville, Pa., in 1861. The deceased leaves a wide circle of friends by whom she will be greatly missed. The funeral services will be held at St. Patrick's church Saturday morning, at 9 o'clock."
The will of Margaret Fitzpatrick was probated in Eau Claire county court (probate file #1327, volume D, p.51, SHSW Eau Claire Series 121, reel 67). The probate file provides a wealth of information. Margaret's son, Patrick Fitzpatrick, filed the petition for probate on December 30, 1887. Margaret Fitzpatrick had signed her will "by X her mark" on June 3, 1884. She left $1.00 each to her children Catherine McGue, Philip Fitzpatrick, Hugh Fitzpatrick, James Fitzpatrick, John Fitzpatrick and Michael Fitzpatrick. Her daughter Rosanah Fitzpatrick Mooney had died before her. There is no mention in the will of a daughter Annie or Maggie. An additional $299 was left to her son Michael on condition that he "forsake bad habits and ways and become a discreet, well behaved and respectable man and settle down in life and become what a loving mother earnestly desires he should in character and standing." The will left $100 to Margaret Fitzpatrick's granddaughter, Margaret Jane McGue, the daughter of Catherine McGue, which is certainly a reference to Catherine McGough, my great-grandmother. The residual estate, basically Margaret's home which was valued at about $1200, was left to her son Patrick Fitzpatrick "in consideration of … his having for a long time supported me."
Margaret Jane McGue's name appears as McGue in all the estate papers, including her signature on the receipt for her inheritance. Margaret McGue's signature on her acknowledgment of receipt of $100.00, dated February, 1888, is witnessed by "J. F. McGue," her brother, also known as John F. McGough. Margaret Fitzpatrick's daughter, Catherine, although referred to as Catherine McGue in all the estate documents, signs her receipt, in firm and clear handwriting, as Catherine McGough.
My great-great-great grandmother, Catherine McGran, was probably born in Ireland in about 1775. I am assuming that she was the mother of Margaret McGran who married Patrick Fitzpatrick, and who was the mother of Catherine Fitzpatrick who married my great-grandfather, John McGough, and became the mother of my grandfather, Hugh McGough. I am also assuming that the same Catherine McGran was also the mother of Rosanna (Rosy) McGran who married John Hogan, and who was the mother of Annie Hogan who married Morgan J. O'Donnell and who is identified in a Wisconsin Supreme court opinion as a second cousin of Hugh McGough. This judicial opinion was the beginning of a trail that led me to the tentative conclusion that Catherine McGran was probably my great-great-great grandmother.
My only direct reference to Catherine McGran is in the 1860 census of the borough of Palo Alto, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, where she is listed as living with the family of the Anna E. Hogan who married Morgan J. O'Donnell: John Hogan, age 30, born in Ireland, a laborer; Rosy Hogan, his wife, age 25, born in Ireland; their daughter, Ann Hogan, age 5, born in Pennsylvania; their son, John Hogan, age 4, born in Pennsylvania; and Catherine McGran (indexed by Ancestry.com as McGraw), presumably Rosy's mother and Ann's grandmother, age 75, born in Ireland. (The 1880 and 1900 censuses indicate that the parents of Annie Hogan O'Donnell were born in Pennsylvania - which seems to contradict the 1860 listing of Rosy Hogan's place of birth as Ireland.) Neither Rosy Hogan nor her presumed mother Catherine McGran could read or write (roll M653_1181, page 705; Family History Library Film 805181).
My grandfather, Hugh McGough of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was a party to a reported legal opinion by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that sheds some light on his genealogy. McGough v. Women's Catholic Order of Foresters et al., 175 Wis. 607, 185 N.W.174, 24 A. L. R. 746 (1921). According to the opinion, Hugh McGough was a second cousin of Annie O'Donnell who held a life insurance certificate issued by the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters, a benefit association. Before January 6, 1920, the certificate named as beneficiary of the insurance Laura Hogan, a niece of Annie O'Donnell. On that day, the certificate of insurance was surrendered by Annie O'Donnell to the association, and a new certificate was issued on March 2, 1920, naming Hugh McGough of Eau Claire as the beneficiary. Hugh McGough was described to the benefit association by Annie O'Donnell as her first cousin, but it was decided in the litigation that Hugh was actually a second cousin. The bylaws of the benefit association limited beneficiaries to blood relatives who were not more distant than cousins in the first degree. Annie O'Donnell died on April 14, 1920. The benefit association paid the money into the Circuit Court in Eau Claire and asked the court to determine who was the proper beneficiary. The association took the position that, under their bylaws, the proper beneficiary was the beneficiary named in the previously issued certificate, Laura Hogan, niece of Annie O'Donnell. Hugh McGough was represented in the proceedings by an Eau Claire lawyer, Fred Arnold. Laura Hogan was represented by a Milwaukee law firm. The trial court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court both ruled that the bylaw of the association would be enforced and that Laura Hogan was entitled to the proceeds of the certificate - to the exclusion of Annie O'Donnell's second cousin, Hugh McGough.
A second cousin is a person with whom one shares a great-grandparent. Another definition of second cousin is "the child of one parent's first cousin." Unfortunately, the published opinion of the Wisconsin Supreme Court sets out no facts upon which it based its decision that Hugh McGough was a second cousin rather than a first cousin.
Census returns show that Annie O'Donnell was born between 1856 and 1863 in Pennsylvania to parents born in Pennsylvania. Her maiden name was Anna E. Hogan.
Catherine McGran, who was listed as 75 years of age in the 1860 census of Palo Alto, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, was born around 1785 in Ireland. A reasonable assumption is that she was the mother of both the Rosanna McGran who was born around 1835 in Ireland and who married John Hogan; and Margaret McGran who was born in about 1820 in Ireland who married Patrick Fitzpatrick (although there is a possibility that she was a grandmother of Rosanna McGran). If these assumptions are correct, Catherine McGran would be the grandmother of Annie Hogan O'Donnell and great-grandmother of Hugh McGough; and Annie McGran Hogan and Hugh McGough could have been considered second cousins.
I hope to find further corroboration of the validity of these assumptions. Because McGran is, with some frequency, indexed as McGraw, records are sometimes difficult to find. Here is some of the underlying information I have unearthed so far:
Morgan J. O'Donnell married Anna E. Hogan on September 17, 1873, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to Family Search. Morgan J. O'Donald was married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 17, 1873, according to Wisconsin Marriages, pre-1907, volume 13, page 330, on Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Marriages, 1836–1930 for Morgan J. O'Doneld lists the parents of the groom as Patrick O'Donald and Mary Riley, and the father of the bride, Anna E. Hogan, as John Hogan and the mother of the bride as (no first name) McGraw. An entry for Morgan J. O'Danneld lists the mother of the bride, Anna E. Hagen, as Rosanna McGrave. (I assume McGrave should be McGran.) If Annie's age is correctly stated in the 1880 census as 23, she was married at the age of 16 or 17.
A website entitled Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries contains the burial records of Annie O'Donnell and her husband, Morgan O'Donnell:
Name: Annie E Odonnell
Date of Death: 4/16/1920
Date of Burial: 4/16/1920
Age at Death: 60
Marital Status: Unknown
Last Address: 181 22 St
Funeral Home: Oboyle
Cemetery: Calvary Cemetery
Location: Block: 6
Section:
Row: 228
Name: Morgan Odonnell
Date of Death: 6/30/1915
Date of Burial: 6/30/1915
Age at Death: 66
Marital Status: Unknown
Last Address: 181 22 St
Funeral Home: Oboyle
Cemetery: Calvary Cemetery
Location: Block: 6
Section:
Row: 213
The 1920 census of Milwaukee (ward 16), Wisconsin, taken on January 10, 1920, lists Anna E. O'Donnell (indexed by Ancestry.com as Anna E. Alloun, age 54), age 57, a widow, born in Pennsylvania, to parents born in Pennsylvania, with no occupation, as the owner of a house at 181 22nd Street. Living with her was her niece, Laura Hogan, age 35, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Pennsylvania and a mother born in Germany, a teacher in public schools (roll T625-2002, page 9B).
The 1910 census of Milwaukee (ward 16) lists this family at 181 22nd Street: Morgan J. O'Donnel, age 60, married once for 25 (? should be 37) years, born in Wisconsin, to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in New York, a freight forwarder for a railroad, owner of a home free of a mortgage; his wife, Annie O'Donnel, age 49, born in Pennsylvania to parents born in Pennsylvania, married once for 25 years, mother of no children; and a roomer, Laura Hogan, age 27, single, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Pennsylvania, and a mother born in Germany, a teacher in the public schools; and another roomer, Jennie Quinn, age 42, single, born to parents born in Ireland, also a teacher in the public schools (roll T624_1723, page 12A; Family History Library Number 1375736).
The 1900 census of Milwaukee (ward 16) lists this family at 181 22nd Street: Morgan O'Donnell (head), age 51, born in April, 1849, in Wisconsin, both parents born in Ireland (?), married 27 years, foreman freight house, owns home free of a mortgage; Anna O' Donnell (wife), age 40, born in August, 1859, in Pennsylvania to parents born in Pennsylvania, mother of no children; Laura Hogan (niece), single, age 16, born in July, 1883, in Wisconsin, to a father born in Pennsylvania and a mother born in Germany, at school; and Eliza J. Taylor (mother of Martin O'Donnell), a widow, age 54, born in July, 1845, in Maryland, to parents born in Germany, mother of two children, both living, with no occupation listed (roll T623_1805, page 14B).
The 1880 census of Milwaukee lists this family at 335 Cass Street: Morgan O'Donnell, age 31, born in Wisconsin to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in New York, a freight clerk; and his wife, Annie O'Donnell, age 23, born in Pennsylvania to parents born in Pennsylvania (roll 1436, page 11C; Family History Library Film 1255436).
The 1870 census of Milwaukee (3rd ward) lists Morgan O'Donnell, age 22, born in Wisconsin, a clerk in a warehouse; rooming with Thomas Hanlan, age 23, born in Ireland, who was also employed as a clerk in a warehouse (roll M593_1727, page 449A; Family History Library Film 553226).
The 1870 census of Milwaukee (4th ward) lists Louisa Hogan, age 31, a dressmaker, born in Ireland, with Anna Hogan, age 14, born in Pennsylvania, at school; and John Hogan, age 12, born in Pennsylvania, at school (roll M593-1727, page 464A; Family History Library Film 553226). This may be the Louisa Hogan, age 7, born about 1839, who arrived in New York on October 12, 1846, from Liverpool aboard the Hollinger, with her parents, John Hogan, age 41, a mason, and Christiana Hagen, age 38; and siblings, Maria hogan, age 14; Frederick Hogan, age 12; Arnie (?) Hogan (male), age 4; and John Hogan, age 1/2. The ship's manifest listed all these Hogans, in the column headed Country to which they belong, as from Germany. New York 1820–1850, Passenger and Immigration Lists, on Ancestry.com.
The 1850 census of Greenfield, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, lists Morgan O'Donnel, age 2, living with his parents, Patrick O'Donnel, age 35, a laborer; and Mary O'Donnel, age 26; a younger brother, Edward O'Donnell, age 5 months; and a James O'Donnell, age 30, a laborer (roll M432_1003, page 466B).
My hope is that further digging into Wisconsin and Pennsylvania records will lead to more evidence of the family connection between Hugh McGough and Annie (Hogan) O'Donnell.
Michael McGough (1844–March 7, 1904) was born in Pennsylvania, according to the 1900 federal census of Wisconsin. According to his interment records, he was born in Ireland. The 1900 census shows his age as 60. According to his interment records, he would have been 56 in 1900. The 1900 census records show that he was married to Mary Ann McGough (1850–1923), age 50, who was born in Pennsylvania. Michael McGough and Mary Ann Lynch were married in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1876. See McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s. Their three older children were born in Pennsylvania: Terrance, age 23, born in December of 1876; Anna, age 21, born in 1878; and Michael, age 18, born in 1880. Their other children were born in Wisconsin: James, age 17, born in 1883; Mary, age 14, born in 1886; and John, age 11, born in 1889. The List of Veterans Who Served Their Country and Rest at Saint Patrick Parish Cemetery in Eau Claire includes the youngest son: WWI Private John J. McGough, born 1889, died 1959, Army.
They moved to Eau Claire about 1881 or 1882. The gravestone at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire shows Michael McGough, 1844–1904, buried with Mary Ann McGough, 1844–1923. The Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index shows the death of a Michael McGue in Eau Claire on March 7, 1904. The interment records at St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire shows the death of Michael McGough of blood poisoning and nephritis at age 59 on March 7, 1904, and the death of "Mrs. M McGough" on August 4, 1923.
The 1920 census of Eau Claire (ward 10), Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, on Cochrane Street, lists Mary Ann McGough, age 72, a widow, born in Pennsylvania, to parents born in Ireland, no occupation listed (T-625, roll 1984, page 5B, line 90). Living with her were three single sons: C. Terance (or Clarence) McGough, age 43, born in Pennsylvania, laborer in a manufacturing company; James McGough, age 36, born in Wisconsin, a laborer for a railroad; and John McGough, age 30, born in Wisconsin, a wagon driver for a dray line. Mary Ann McGough and her three sons are also indexed by Ancestry.com as McJongter
The Eau Claire City Directory, 1893–94 shows Michael McGough, laborer, at 117 Cochrane Street. Shown at the same address are Terrence McGough, laborer, and Clarence McGough, a laborer at Pioneer Furniture Company. Since Michael T. McGough, the son of Michael and Mary A. McGough, was only 12 years old in 1893, the Michael listed in the directory must have been the father. Terrence is the oldest son, who would have been 16. Since Clarence McGough was living at the same address, he may have been a relative (although there is a possibility that this is a duplicate entry for Terrence). The Eau Claire Directory, 1887–8 lists a Michael McGeough, carsmith, living at 117 Cochrane.
Michael McGough at 117 Cochrane is listed as a car repairer for CSPM&O Railway in the 1891 Eau Claire Directory. See Eau Claire Railroad Employees, 1889–1893, Partial Listing, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The Michael McGough who is described in this section is probably the son of Terence and Anne McGough of Schuylkill county. His younger sister Anne married Frank Toner in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, in about 1863, and moved with her family to Eau Claire in 1867 or 1868. See McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s. Michael named his oldest son Terence, probably after his father, and his first daughter Anna, probably after his sister Anna Toner who had moved to Eau Claire before him. The 1850 federal census of New Castle township (page 156), Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, shows a cousin, another Michael McGue, age 8, born in Pennsylvania, living with his parents Andrew and Elizabeth McGue, his sister Anne, age 10, his brother Andrew, age 6, his sister Mary, age 4, his sister Roseanne, age 2, and Catharine Devine. This Michael McGue, also age 8, was living next door with his parents Terence and Anne (Nancy) McGough, his brothers Andrew, 22, and James, 20, his sisters, Anne, 5, Catherine, 3, and Catherine Mooney, age 20.
Here is an obituary of Mary Ann Lynch McGough from the Eau Claire Leader of August 5, 1923:
"Mrs. Mary McGough died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. P. J. Craemer, 1002 First Avenue, August 4. She had been in failing health for some time but has been seriously ill for the past two weeks. She was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, 1844 leaving her 78 years at the time of her death. She leaves to mourn her loss two daughters, Sr. Mary Luke, Milwaukee; Mrs. P. J. Craemer and four boys: Terrance, Michael, James and John, all of this city. Her husband having preceded her in death nineteen years ago. The funeral will take place from the home of her daughter, Mrs. P. J. Craemer Tuesday morning Aug. 7 at 8:30 at St. Patrick's church."
Mary's husband, Michael McGough, who died 19 years before her death in 1923, is probably the Michael McGue who died in Eau Claire on March 7, 1904, according to the Wisconsin Vital Records Death Index (Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Deaths, 1820–1907). He is probably the Michael McGue listed in the 1895 census of Eau Claire (ward 1) in a family of 8, 5 males and 3 females (line 23, roll v226_12).
Children living with Michael and Mary Ann Lynch McGough in 1900 were:
Terrence McGough (1876–1930), age 23 in 1900, born in Pennsylvania. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows him as Terrence B. McGue, age 27, single, residing with his mother Mary McGue, and employed as a switchman. The Directory for Eau Claire for 1910 shows Terrence McGough, a switchman, residing at 117 Cochrane, with Mary A. McGough, the widow of Michael. Terrance Bernard McGough, age 42, born on December 7, 1876, living at 117 Cochrane Street, Eau Claire, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on September 12, 1918. He was employed as a laborer by Phoenix Manufacturing Company in Eau Claire. He listed as his nearest relative his mother, Mrs. Mary McGough, at 117 Cochrane Street. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. The death of Terrence B. McGough in Eau Claire is recorded in 1930. He is buried with his parents in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire, where the cemetery records show his life span as 1876–1930.
Anna I. McGough (1879–), age 21 in 1900, born in Pennsylvania. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows her as Anna I. McGue, age 25, single, residing with her mother Mary McGue, and employed in housework. Anna was married on June 20, 1905 to John McMahon.
Michael T. McGough (1880–1929), age 19 in 1900, born in Pennsylvania. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows him as Mike T. McGue, age 24, single, residing with his mother Mary McGue, and employed as a blacksmith. The Directory for Eau Claire for 1910 shows Michael T. McGough, a blacksmith, residing at 117 Cochrane, with Mary A. McGough, the widow of Michael. There is a photograph of Michael McGough, Jr., in a blacksmith shop, with an unidentified man wearing a long coat and hat (possibly his father), at page 24 of a collection of Eau Claire Area Historical Photographs on the website of the L. E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. The estimated date of the photograph is 1900/1905. Mike Thomas McGough, age 38, born on July 27, 1880, living at 117 Cochrane Street, Eau Claire, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on September 12, 1918. He listed as his nearest relative his mother—with neither a name nor an address. He was employed by "Knudson." The interment records of St. Patrick's Church show a Mike McGough died on August 28, 1929, and I have assumed that this is Michael T. McGough, although the ambiguous cemetery record could be interpreted to show death at the age of 9. Michael McGough is buried with his parents, next to his brothers Terrence and James, and cemetery records show his life span as from 1880 to 1929.
James Andrew McGough (1883–1950); age 17 in 1900; born in Wisconsin. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows him as James A. McGue, age 21, single, residing with his mother Mary McGue, and employed as a laborer in a packing house. The Directory for Eau Claire for 1910 shows James McGough, a laborer, residing at 117 Cochrane, with Mary A. McGough, the widow of Michael. James Andrew McGough, age 35, born in Eau Claire on January 14, 1883, residing at 117 Cochrane in Eau Claire, registered for the WWI draft in Eau Claire on September 12, 1918. He was employed as a butcher for Drummond Packing Company, Eau Claire. He listed as his nearest relative Mrs. Mary McGough at 117 Cochrane. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. The index of miscellaneous records for Eau Claire county shows a mental illness proceeding for a James A. McGough. I do not have the date. He is buried with his parents in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Eau Claire, where the cemetery records show his life span as from 1883 to 1950.
Mary A. McGough (1886–1946?), age 14 in 1900; born in Wisconsin. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows her as Mary A. McGue, age 18, single, residing with her mother Mary McGue, and employed in housework. The Directory for Eau Claire for 1910 shows Miss Mary McGough residing at 117 Cochrane, with Mary A. McGough, the widow of Michael. A McGough. Mary Agnes McGough married Peter J. Craemer in Eau Claire on June 12, 1916 according to Brides of Eau Claire Co., Wis., 1854–1929 (Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, 1995). The interment records of St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire shows that a Mary A. McGough died in Eau Claire at the age of 75 on July 16, 1946. (The Mary A. McGough who was the daughter of Michael and Mary Ann McGough would have been 66.) A Mary McGough who was born on September 12, 1876, died on July 29, 1941, and who is buried in St. Patrick's cemetery, is more likely a daughter of Thomas McGough and Ellen Kidd. See: Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
John J. McGough (1889–1959), age 11 in 1900, born in Wisconsin. The 1905 Wisconsin state census shows him as John McGue, age 16, single, residing with his mother Mary McGue, and employed as a laborer in a box factory. The Directory for Eau Claire for 1910 shows John McGough, a laborer, residing at 117 Cochrane, with his mother, Mary A. McGough, the widow of Michael. John Joseph McGough, age 28, born on May 17, 1889, residing at 17 Cochrane, registered for the WWI draft on Eau Claire on June 5, 1917. He was single and employed as a teamster by Carey Transfer Company in Eau Claire. His nearest relative was his mother (unnamed) who was partly dependent upon him. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, on Ancestry.com. John J. McGough is buried with his parents in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Eau Claire, where the records show his life span as from 1889 to 1959. The an Eau Claire obituary shows the death of J. John McGough on November 22, 1959, at the age of 70, and burial in St. Patrick's Cemetery.
The same children are shown as living with Mary McGue, a widow, age 59, by the 1905 state census. This census lists the surnames of all the children as McGue. The Directory of Eau Claire for 1910 shows Mary McGough, widow of Michael, age 59, as residing at 117 Cochrane with all her children listed above except Anna I. There is no Catherine McGough or R. Mary McGough listed in her household, although these two female McGoughs may have resided with her son John J. McGough, who by then would have been 21, at 204 Oxford in Eau Claire. The interment records of St. Patrick's Church in Eau Claire shows that a Kate McGough, born in Eau Claire, died of appendicitis at the age of 22 in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 23, 1912. She was buried in Eau Claire. She may be the Catherine McGough who was living with John J. McGough and R. Mary McGough at 117 Cochrane in 1910.
Anna McGough Toner was the daughter of Terence and Nancy (Ann) McGough of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. She is shown as age 5 in the 1850 census of Newcastle township, Pennsylvania, and age 17 in the 1860 census of St. Clair Borough (North Ward), Pennsylvania. In both censuses, she was living with her parents. Anna was 2 or 3 years younger than her brother Michael McGough who moved from Pennsylvania to Eau Claire in 1881 or 1882, and is discussed in the section immediately preceding this. Anna married Frank Toner in Pennsylvania in about 1863. Their two older sons, James and Michael, were born in Pennsylvania in about 1864 and 1867, respectively. Their later children, beginning with Katta in 1869, were born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They probably moved from Schuylkill county to Eau Claire in 1867 or 1868, therefore.
The 1870 U.S. census of Wisconsin, Eau Claire county, North Eau Claire, lists Francis Toner, age 44, farmer, value of real estate $500, value of personal estate $300, born in Ireland, who could not read or write; his wife, Ann Toner, age 25, born in Pennsylvania, whose parents were foreign born, keeping house, and children: James, age 5, born in Pennsylvania; Michael, age 3, born in Pennsylvania; and Catharine, age 1, born in Wisconsin. (M-593, Roll 1712, page 282, line 7.)
The 1880 federal census of Eau Claire lists this family: Frank Toner, age 45, born in Ireland, farmer; Anna Toner, age 36, born in Pennsylvania, whose parents were born in Ireland; James Toner, son 16, born in Pennsylvania; and Michael Toner, age 13, born in Pennsylvania. These younger children were all born in Wisconsin: Katta, 11; Anna, 8; Sarah, 6; Frank, 4; John, 2; and Mary, 4 months.
Frank Toner, age 4, requires a special note. Frank Terrance Toner was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on December 28, 1875. On November 22, 1904, he married Clara Regina McDonald (1882–1961) in Big Stone, Minnesota. He died on October 29, 1918, in Wallace, Shoshone county, Idaho. (See the Connelly Gough Heritage Update under Public Member Trees on Ancestry.com.) Frank's wife, Clara Regina McDonald, was the daughter of John McDonald (1844–1918) and his wife, Mary Ann Brady (1847–1923). Mary Ann Brady was the sister of Catherine Brady, who was born in Benton, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on February 7, 1851, and died there on February 6, 1925. Catherine Brady married Francis Gough in Benton, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on June 23, 1873. Francis Gough was the son of Bernard McGough (1810–1868) and Catherine Walsh (1811–1871). Bernard McGough was born in county Monaghan, Ireland, and emigrated to Lafayette, county, Wisconsin, in the 1850s. I am informed that Bernard McGough dropped the Mc from his surname at or before the 1860 census of Lafayette county, Wisconsin, and that portion of the McGough family has used the surname Gough since that time. See the notes on Bernard Gough of the town of Centre, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on my page on the 1860 census for more details.
The directory of Eau Claire for 1893 lists two Toners: Francis Toner, a farmer near Old Dells Mill, and Michael Toner, a laborer, who boarded with Francis Toner.
The 1900 federal census of ward 10 of the city of Eau Claire (page 239) lists: Frank Toner (sometimes indexed as Tones), born in September, 1828; age 61; married 37 years; born in Ireland; who had emigrated to the United States in 1854; naturalized in Pennsylvania; a farmer; who could read and speak, but not write, English, and who owned his farm free of mortgage. Living with him were his wife, Anna, born in Pennsylvania in June of 1853, age 56, whose parents were born in Ireland; their son Michael, age 33, born in Pennsylvania in November of 1866; their daughter Anna, age 27, born in Wisconsin in December of 1872; their son John, age 22, born in Wisconsin in February of 1878*; and their son, Daniel, age 17, born in Wisconsin in October of 1882. The three sons are all listed as farm laborers.
*Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908. on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number 1316599) lists John Toner, born to Frank Toner and Anne McGough, on February 3, 1878, and baptized on February 7, 1878, in Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Eau Claire.
Here is information about McGoughs in Eau Claire that leaves me with a question mark or require further research.
Andrew McGough, of the family of Andrew and Elizabeth McGough (Andrea and Elisabetha McGough), was a sponsor at the baptism on February 1, 1866, in Eau Claire of John Murray, son of Michael and Rose Murray. The other sponsor was Anna Moony of the family of Charles and Catherine Moony. Living with the family of Terance and Nancy McGough, next to Andrew and Elizabeth McGue in Schuylkill county in 1850, was Catharine Mooney, age 17, who was born in Ireland. Was this Catharine Mooney related to the family of Charles and Catherine Mooney in Eau Claire?
The 1870 federal census of Wisconsin shows a family of Charles Mooney in North Eau Claire (page 283, line 22). (In 1870, Michael and Rose Murray (Murry) also lived in North Eau Claire, as did Francis and Ann (McGough) Toner). Charles Mooney is shown as age 60, a sexton, born in Ireland, with real estate valued at $500. His wife Catharine, age 50, is also shown as having been born in Ireland. She could not read or write. Two daughters living with them were Ann, age 16, born in Pennsylvania, and Elizabeth, age 11, born in Wisconsin. If Ann Mooney's age is correctly given, she would have been only 12 at the time of the baptism of John Murray and too young to have been a sponsor. Apparently the same family is shown in the town of North Eau Claire (page 148) in the 1860 federal census of Wisconsin. Charles Mooney is listed as a 40 year old laborer, born in Ireland. His wife Catharine is listed as a 35 year old laundress, born in Ireland. Their children are listed as Elizabeth, age 2, born in Wisconsin (?), and Ann, age 6 months, born in Wisconsin. In the 1880 census of Eau Claire (8th ward on Broadway Street), there is listed Charles Money, age 72, cemetery sexton, born in Ireland; with his wife, Catherine, age 68, born in Ireland; and their daughter, Lessia, age 20, born in Wisconsin.
Frank McGough, a yardman, is shown as residing at 625 North Barstow by the Eau Claire City Directory, 1893–94. This was probably the Hugh Francis McGough referred to in the next paragraph. Could this, however, be the Francis McGough, the son of Francis and Bridget Murphy McGough, who was born in Allamakee county, Iowa in 1869? See Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Angh F. McGough died in Eau Claire on December 23, 1898, according to the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Death Index. This was almost certainly Hugh Francis McGough, the son of John Joseph McGough and Rosanna Mooney, who was born on August 3, 1874, and who is listed as age 5 and living with his parents in the 1880 census of Union, the town next to Eau Claire, in Eau Claire county, Wisconsin. (Although I can make no connection, it is worth noting that the 1860 federal census of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, in the Patterson Schuylkill township (Schuylkill Haven) lists an Angner McGow, age 31, a blacksmith, who was born in New York (M-653, roll 1181, page 919 (or page 135), line 24), and was living with his wife, Mary, age 30, who was also born in New York, and their two children, Catharine, age 3, born in Pennsylvania, and William, age 5 months, born in Pennsylvania.)
Joanne McGough (described as a male ?) was born to Thomae (sic) McGough and Ellen Pritt on May 1, 1866, and baptized at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Eau Claire on May 5, 1866. Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908. on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number 1316599).
Mauriticum Ed McGough, born to Thomas McGough and Bridget Halloran on November 18, 1877, and baptized on December 16, 1877, at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Eau Claire, is listed in Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826–1908. on Ancestry.com (FHL Film Number: 1316599).
Sarah McGough died of consumption in Eau Claire on March 4, 1904, at the age of 23. Could this be the Sarah McGeough, daughter of Thomas and Lillie McGeough, shown by the 1880 federal census of Portage village, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, as having been born in Pennsylvania in July of 1879? The Pre 1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI lists the death of Sarah McGue on March 5, 1904. Here is an article from page 4 of the Eau Claire Leader of March 5, 1904:
Miss Sarah McGue died at 5:00 p. m. yesterday, at 1203 South Dewey street, of consumption, after a long illness of over a year, which she bore with heroic fortitude and Christian resignation. She was an exceedingly amiable young lady, and was highly esteemed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Thomas McGough, Jr., is listed in the 1893 Directory of Eau Claire as boarding at 1203 South Dewey Street with his father, Thomas McGough, laborer.
Thomas McGue. The 1870 census of Eau Claire lists Thomas McGue, age 50, who was working in a saw mill, born in Ireland. He was single and living in a boarding house with several other saw mill workers.
William McGough. The Pre 1907 Death Index for Eau Claire Co., WI lists the death of William McGough on November 2, 1894.
My great-grandfather, John McGough, lived in the area around Pottsville, Pennsylvania, before his move to Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 1855 or 1856. Data on the McGoughs in the Pottsville area are collected in a separate web page, McGoughs and McGues in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the 1800s.
Two sons and a daughter of Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, moved to Eau Claire and raised large families there. The sons were: Thomas McGough and John Joseph McGough. Their sister Margaret also moved to Eau Claire. These McGough families in Eau Claire are covered in a separate web page: Michael McGough and Rosanna Halton of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada; Connections with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Owen McGough, his wife Bridget Kennedy, and nine of their children moved from Perth, Ontario, to Oak Grove township in Barron county, Wisconsin about October of 1871. Barron county is one county removed and to the northwest of Eau Claire county. Information about this family is also in a separate web page: Owen McGough and Bridget Kennedy of Barron County, Wisconsin
Many of the facts relating to the history of the McGoughs in Eau Claire were unearthed and assembled by Dawn M. Knauft, a professional genealogical researcher, who does business as WiSearch. I have been more than pleased with her work.
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