BIO:  McGOWEN, William, s/o John & Sarah (Balthus) McGowen

Submitted by:  phill@redrock.net   (Phyllis Hill)

McGOWEN  BALTHUS SHANNON  HART  MORRIS BENSINGER JOHNSON  BOWEN  HOKE TAYLOR

History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana
Chicago:  The Goodspeed Publishing Co.  1886

Knox County, Busseron Twp., page 459

WILLIAM McGOWEN, druggist of Oaktown, Ind., was the eldest of four children
of John and Sarah (Balthus) McGowen.  The father was born in Pennsylvania,
and when eighteen years old came to Knox County, Ind., locating at Vincennes
where he learned the gunsmith's trade.  He established a ferry on the West
Fork of White River, in Martin County, but had only lived there four years
when he was killed by the Indians May 12, 1812.  The paternal grandfather
was Scotch by birth, and the mother's father was of German descent.  The
mother survived the father many years, and married again.  She died about
1838.  Our immediate subject was born in Knox County, where he was reared
to manhood.  He received a very limited early education, and has acquired
the most of his education since attaining his majority.  He endured many
of the privations incident to frontier life.  At the age of twenty-three he
married, and began farming for himself.  In 1858 he began the practice of
medicine, and in 1868 he sold his farm and engaged in the drug business and
practice of medicine in Oaktown, where he has been rather unsuccessful, as
fire destroyed his house and entire stock of drugs, which were uninsured.
He rebuilt, and continued in the drug business.  July 31, 1828, he was
married to Elizabeth Shannon of Kentucky, to whom were born ten children,
six now living:  Sarah (widow of Jonathan Hart), Jemimah A. (wife of John
Morris), Mary E. (wife of William Morris, father of John Morris), Clarissa
widow of George Bensinger), Thomas S. and William C.  Mrs. McGowen died
March 12, 1866, and January 19, 1868, he married Susan (Johnson) Bowen, to
whom were born four children, two now living:  Winnie M. and Charles T.
This wife died May 26, 1877, and he married his present wife, Margaret (Hoke)
Taylor, February 19, 1878.  He has been a member of some church for over 
sixty years.  He is one of the oldest citizens of the county, and none are
more highly respected than he.  He was a Democrat until 1852, since which
time he has been a very ardent Republican.  He was one of the original board
of trustees of Jefferson Township, Sullivan County.  He is thoroughly a
self-made man, and is next to the oldest native-born resident of the county.
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