Baldwin County AlArchives Biographies.....T. G. McGowan 1832 - ?
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 11, 2004, 9:10 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   T. G. MCGOWAN, county commissioner of Baldwin county and a respected planter,
was born in 1832 in county Tyrone, Ireland. At the age of fifteen he sailed for
America alone and landed in New Orleans May 5, 1847, whence he made his way to
Mobile and started to attend school, but was interrupted by an attack of
sickness, which compelled him to seek the hospitality of Judge Fitch, a short
distance from the city; on becoming convalescent he made another attempt at
learning, but had a relapse and relinquished the task. He then served a long
time with a millwright, fully mastered the trade and moved to Stockton, Baldwin
county, and started in business. In 1854 he engaged with Col. Aiken for a year
as a millwright, and later built a mill for John Harris on Fair creek; continued
millwrighting and building for a number of years; erected a mill on Watsau creek
for Edward Robinson, and also doing work on McDonald's mill on Major creek. In
1854 he entered 80 acres of his present place, for which he paid 50 cents per
acre and received in addition 160 acres from the government, on which he has
built a comfortable and commodious dwelling. In 1862 he sent a substitute to the
Confedate service and later enlisted in the Fifteenth Alabama cavalry and served
until the end of the troubles. On the return of peace he worked at his trade a
year and then turned his attention to agriculture and stock growing, and in
these he has met the success his energy and industry deserve. January 26, 1854,
he married Miss Julia A. Mathis, a daughter of William Mathis, a native of
Maine, who settled in Baldwin county about the year 1820, and here died in the
autumn of 1829. Mrs. McGowan was born in Baldwin county, was married at the age
of twenty-four and is now the mother of six children, viz.: Thomas, who married
Miss Mary Tunstall, who has borne three children; Mary, George, Annie, Guy and
Eugenie G. The parents of T. G. McGowan were James and Fannie McGowan. The
father was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, was a farmer and died in his
native country in 1839; the mother was born in the city of Dublin, the daughter
of William McGowan, an attorney-at-law. She was married in her twentieth year,
became the mother of five children, of whom T. G. McGowan is the sole survivor,
and died about 1847, a faithful adherent of the Presbyterian church, both she
and her husband being of Scotch-Irish parentage. Mr. T. G. McGowan has fully met
the reward of his intelligence and industry, and is now the owner of 3,500 acres
of land well improved with a commodious dwelling, in which is kept the post
office known as Latham's, of which Miss Mary is the post-mistress. In 1892 Mr.
McGowan was elected county commissioner and has faithfully performed the duties
of that office down to the present time. The family affiliate with the Methodist
church and enjoy the respect of all who know them. T. G. McGowan is local
preacher of the Methodist church.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama"


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