Summary Information
McGowan Family Papers
1841-1906
Mss 583, PH 6631
0.6 c.f. (2 archives boxes) and 3 photographs (1 folder)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of two generations of the McGowan Family, Irish immigrants to Waushara County, Wisconsin. Included is correspondence, 1843-1903, to and from relatives in Ireland and letters regarding the U.S. Civil War camp life of Robert J. O. McGowan, 5th, 33rd, and 47th Regiments, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry; Robert's diary, 1862; a casebook from the Royal Infirmary of Glasgow, 1814; a book of sermons, 1837; and miscellaneous poetry, stories, newspaper clippings, music, and writings on religion and natural history. The photographs include images of Alexander Orr McGowan, Margaret McKittrick McGowan, and Charlie McGowan.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00583
Biography/History
Alex and Margaret McKittrick McGowan, with their children, emigrated from Ballyhalbert, County Down, Ireland in 1849, first settling in Ohio. They moved to Warren township, Waushara County, Wisconsin, in 1850. Alex apparently farmed and taught occasional Latin classes. His son Robert served in the 33rd and 47th Regiments, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry with the rank of captain during the Civil War. After the war he moved to Iowa, becoming a merchant in 1865 at Iowa Falls.
Scope and Content Note
The collection gives an interesting glimpse of several facets of an Irish immigrant family's life. Only fragments of the lives of various family members are represented. The collection is a source of information on some areas of Irish social history, and a very good source on camp life during the Civil War.
The GENEALOGY contains fragmentary attempts at drawing a family tree. Later members of the family, who have no correspondence in the collection, are mentioned but are difficult to place. Copies of photographs of later women of the family and a family member's reminiscence on Alex McGowan are included. The following (abbreviated) family tree should clarify the various familial relationships of the main correspondents:
| Eliza McKittrick |
m. James Orr |
ch. James (Jas.) Orr |
| |
|
ch. Robert Orr |
| Marianne (Mary Anne) McKittrick |
| |
| Robert McKittrick |
| |
| Margaret McKittrick |
m. Alexander (Alex) McGowan |
ch. Robert J.O. McGowan |
| |
|
ch. Margaret (Maggie) McGowan |
The CORRESPONDENCE between members of two generations of an Irish immigrant family is the heart of the collection. Letters in folders 2, 3, and 4 were written before the family came to America. Alex McGowan's file contains several letters of recommendation on his career as a teacher. Some sense of the reasons for the family's decision to emigrate can be gained from this correspondence. The status accorded the church in Ireland, government authority, and the temperance movement are all mentioned here.
The strength of family ties with their native land is indicated by Robert McGowan's continuing correspondence with an aunt, an uncle, and cousins. The largest file (32 letters) contains Robert McGowan's letters to his sister Maggie McGowan while serving in the Civil War. The correspondence contains little regarding battles, but a good description of camp life does emerge. The merchant in Robert has him ask his father to ship a case of butter to camp for resale at a profit. One letter deals with the soldiers' reactions to Lincoln's assassination.
OTHER FAMILY PAPERS includes Robert McKittrick's will which bequeathed money to American heirs. The strength of family ties is clearly indicated. His casebook from the Royal Infirmary of Glasgow is commentary on the primitive state of medical science in 1814. Robert McGowan's diary from the Civil War period is uninformative. He was apparently an educated man with eclectic interests; his three notebooks on natural phenomena indicates this. A family member (probably Robert) collected music, poetry, and stories which were typical of the day. Some are Irish and others are from the Civil War.
The MISCELLANY file includes Robert McGowan's Irish temperance society membership card, and a girl's guessing game on her future husband.
The SCRAPBOOK contains newspaper clippings on random subjects; no dates or sources are given.
The PHOTOGRAPHS include copy prints of images of Alexander Orr McGowan and Margaret McKittrick McGowan, and a copy print made from a carte-de-viste of Charlie McGowan.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented and loaned for copying by Elizabeth Lange, De Kalb, Illinois, 1980-1982. Accession Number: M80-377, M80-378, M82-24
Processed by Susan Strehl and Joanne Hohler, February 1982.
Contents List
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Mss 583
Box
1
Folder
1
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Series: Family Genealogy
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Series: Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Margaret McGowan to Eliza Orr, 1843 August 17 - 1843 November 23
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Box
1
Folder
3
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James Orr, 1842 November 8 - 1843 August 18
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Alex McGowan, 1843 February 1 - 1858 September 4
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Robert McKittrick to Robert McGowan, 1853 November 16 - 1876 May 24
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Mary Anne McKittrick to Robert McGowan, 1859 February 23 - 1874 July 22
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Robert McGowan to Maggie (Margaret) McGowan, 1861 August 2 - 1906 April 12
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Robert Orr to Robert McGowan, 1878 April 9 - 1906 May 31
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Box
1
Folder
9
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James Orr to Robert McGowan, 1878 April 25 - 1882 September 30
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Box
1
Folder
10
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M. McCullough to Robert McGowan, 1895 July 24 - 1903 December 23
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Series: Other Family Papers
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Box
1
Folder
11
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James Orr, 1837 Book of sermons
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Robert McKittrick, 1814 Casebook, Royal Infirmary, Glasglow
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Robert McKittrick, 1856 and 1859 Religious writings
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Box
1
Folder
14
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Robert McKittrick, 1878 will
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Box
1
Folder
15
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Robert McGowan, 1862 diary
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Box
1
Folder
16
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Robert McGowan, Natural history notes
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Box
1
Folder
17
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Music, poetry, stories
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Box
1
Folder
18
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Series: Miscellany
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Series: Scrapbook
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PH 6631
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Series: Photographs
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Folder
1
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Alexander, Margaret, and Charlie McGowan, copy prints
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