PATRICK WICKHAM FAMILY, Our Yesterdays, Jefferson Co., MT USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. "List transcribed and organized by Ellen Rae Thiel, thieljl@aol.com All rights reserved." Copyright, 1998 by Ellen Rae Thiel. This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. PATRICK WICKHAM FAMILY The Patrick Wickham family came to Boulder Valley in the late 1860's. They had eleven children, one having died in Council Bluffs, Iowa, before they moved in 1864. The children of Pat and Margaret Wickham were John, Cecilia, Annie, Patrick (Paddy), Mollie, Frank, Margaret, Ellen, Josephine and Agnes. In 1885, there was a bad epidemic of diphtheria in the Valley, in Elkhorn and other communities too. Many children were stricken with this dreaded disease and many of them died. Two of the children of the Wickham family, Ellen and Josephine, caught it and both died just four days apart at the ages of seven and nine. Annie Wickham married Frank McGowan and their children were George, James J., Patrick, Kathleen, Cormick, Donald and Margaret. It is interesting to note that the present Jefferson County Courthouse was built in 1888 and also the Wickham house in 1890. Frank McGowan, who was an expert rock and brick mason, did the brick and rock work on the courthouse. In 1890, Frank and his brother, Bob, built the Wickham house where Emmitt (Mick) McCauley and his wife, Margy, now live. They were under contract to Pat Wickham, Sr. The house is built out of stone brought from the Devil's Fence, a unique, slightly raised ridge of rock that runs for several miles on the foot hills on the east side of the valley. Pat Wickham, Sr. wanted to leave out the doors and windows from the walls of the house in order to save expense. Frank McGowan said, "Fine, we just won't put any doors or windows in." But, of course, fine workman he was, he didn't mean it. This house is a tribute to the exact and artistic work of Frank McGowan. Over and below each window and over each door is a piece of stone approximately ten inches thick, ten inches high, and the width of the door or window. The front of the house is square cut stone and set symmetrically. This was no small job with the tools of the day - chisel and hammer and such. The rest of the house is made of stone chosen at random. Tis really a work of art. Some of the old timers say before the inside was lath and plastered the inside walls, after a long cold spell in the winter, would gather frost. But it eventually was made snug and warm. Margaret McGowan had a son, Jack, who spent many of his growing up years at the Jim McGowan home and also at the John Wickhams. He was a fine young fellow and so well liked. He has done very well with his life for many years has been a fireman with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Donald McGowan did a lot of his growing up at the John Wickhams also. He was a patriotic young fellow who wanted in the worst way to enlist in 1918 and be a soldier in the First World War. But by the time he could get his enlistment papers in order the Armistice was signed and that ended that. Soon he did go east, however, to Detroit where he got a job in an automotive factory. After working there for a time, he went to work for the Western Electric Company, which was just in its infancy then. He stayed with the Company all the years and bought shares when he could. He has had a very successful life. SUBMITTED BY MRS. MARGARET WICKHAM AND MRS. MARGARET (PEG) MCGOWAN