John McGowan Biography


	This biography appears on page 141 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN McGOWAN. 

	John McGowan is the efficient postmaster at Hartford, coming to 
this position after many years, service in connection with railroads. 
He was born in Pennsylvania on the 5th of August, 1859, and is a son of 
Patrick and Catherine McGowan. The mother has passed away, but the 
father is still living at the age of eighty-nine years. He was formerly 
engaged in railroading and farming. The son pursued his education in 
the public schools of the Keystone state and made his initial step in 
the business world in connection with mining, which he followed for 
four years. He was engaged in railroading for thirty-three years, 
assisting in building the Omaha Railroad in 1888, after which he was 
continuously in the employ of the railroad until August, 1913. In that 
connection he was advanced in recognition of his faithfulness and 
capability and when he resigned he was track foreman. Mr. McGowan was 
appointed postmaster on the 1st of August, 1913, and left the railroad 
service to assume the duties of that position, in which he has since 
continued, carefully and systematically directing the work that falls 
to his lot. 

	In November, 1889, Mr. McGowan was married to Miss Emelia Hahn, a 
daughter of Ferdinand Hahn, and their children are Mrs. Emelia C. 
Kiens, Mrs. Charlotte Ebersviller and Morton, who is at home. The 
religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and the 
political belief of Mr. McGowan is that of the democratic party. He 
belongs to the Odd Fellows Society, to the Modern Woodmen and to the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen and in those lodges has many warm 
friends. He has resided continuously in South Dakota since 1879, when 
he came with his father and mother to this state and through the 
interim to the present he has led a busy, industrious and useful life, 
winning the respect of those with whom he has been associated, while 
the experience gained has well prepared him for the responsible 
official duties that now devolve upon him.