Welcome to Gavigan.org

This site was created to facilitate the exchange of information and to help people with the last name Gavigan, and other names learn more about their history, their roots, who they are related to.

Anyone listed in the Genealogy pages NOT named Gavigan or McGilligan are related to a Gavigan or a McGilligan by a marriage or an adoption It’s a very Small World!

There are most likely many errors on this site. If you have corrections or additions use the contact form to let us know

Murder in the Hay-field

Mt. Horeb, Wis. –(AP) — Victor R McKay, 38, of Madison, shot and killed Mrs. Ruby Lund Heydon, 25, of Mt. Horeb, and then fatally wounded himself while they sat in a car in a hay-field near here August 17, 1942, a coroner’s jury decided after an inquest yesterday.

Higbee Hotel Dodgeville WI – John Starry – 1905

This three-story hotel, which has conducted business as such since 1849, features a rectangular-shaped plan configuration, a cut stone foundation, a combination brick and concrete block exterior and a flat roof. In the early twentieth century the hotel was owned by John Starry, charus phillips (1909-1916)

St. Michael’s Orphanage, La Crosse WI

John (Jack), Beverly, Roy, and Bob all spent time at St Micheals. Bob spent 13 yrs total. He went in at two yrs. Roy told Tim Gavigan in 2024 that John “Jack” Gavigan ran away from the Orphanage. Roy remembers riding in a car with officials to La Crosse.

California 1982

Spring of 1982 a plan was hatched at Rusty’s Bar in Middleton WI over 20 cent taps by Tim Gavigan and Rick Smith. They decided to drive to California in a van to Visit a hockey mate, Chris Eddy.

2 Are Dead, One Missing In Canyon

GRAND CANYON, ARIZ, July 27 AP: The body of a Roman Catholic priest missing in the Grand Canyon since Saturday was found Monday at the base of a 200-foot cliff.

Lake City House / Lake View Hotel / John R McGilligan

John R McGilligan 510 E Wilson Street – Lake City Hotel – Lake View Hotel (Germania House Hotel)

5 Mabbott’s Fight in the Civil War

Suicide By Taking Rat Poison

Monday afternoon about 4 o’clock Mrs. Annie Schwartz, wife of John Schwartz, a farmer residing 4 miles west of this city (darlington), while in an insaine condition. took “Rough on Rats”, from the effects of which she died at 2 o’clock Tuesday Morning.

The Railroad

Dodgeville, Wisconsin had multiple railroad lines, including the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, the Illinois Central Railroad, and the Freeport, Dodgeville & Northern Railroad.

Where did the original Statue of Liberty on Lake Mendota end up?

Found Frozen Stiff in a Field

William Gavigan of the township of Adams perished with Monday night’s storm. He was found yesterday afternoon frozen stiff in a field with nothing but his boots protruding from the snow.

Alcohol Issues

We are Irish, what else can we say? Over the years many have fallen into the Alcohol pit. Some crawled their way out, some did not.

Distressing Suicide: A Woman Drowns Herself in a Well

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Johanna Janeck, a German woman some 85 years old, wife of Mr. Gustav Janeck, for more than a dozen years employed in Mr. Darwin Clark’s Cabinet and Furniture establishment, and for some time foreman of the shop, went to visit Mrs. Lang, who lives in the first ward, about a block south of Nolden’s Hall, near the edge of the flat north of the depot.

Tragedy On Lake Monona

On July 26, 1900, Ellen Jane Rupp “Jennie”, Fannie Dunn, and Nellie Dunn were being rowed back to Madison by Alexius Baas at 11 p.m. when their rowboat was struck by one of the lake steamers, the Tonyawatha, and the four were thrown into the water. Ellen Jane “Jennie” Rupp drowned. “Lex,” the oarsman, saved both of the Dunn sisters.

Hotel Gavigan Blanchardville WI

Thomas Gavigan son of John and Mary (Collentine) Gavigan operated the Gavigan Hotel from 1892- to 1896 at the Corner of Main and Elm in Downtown Blanchardville. Thomas was also on the board of Directors for the Blanchardville Driving Association (racing, training horses)

Kicked on the Head by a Horse

Edward Roarig, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Roarig of Fayette, died April 10th, at Trinity hospital, Milwaukee, where he had been taken for an operation. As was stated in last week’s paper the young man had been working for his uncle, Robert Williams, where he was kicked on the head by a horse.

Timeline

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Census Records

Today in History

JANE SANDUSKY FLANDERS - First Flanders Woman in America

WAS JANE FLANDERS SANDUSKY AN INDIAN PRINCESS?

There are many mysteries to be solved in the Flanders family history line, and JANE FLANDERS is one of them!

Steven Flanders is the first Flanders listed in America. It is said that the ship that he sailed on towards America sunk before reaching land, and that his wealth and possessions were lost. However, due to him having “spektacles” (eyeglasses), he was known to be of European higher-class and educated. He married a woman named Jane, listed as ‘Sandusky Indian’, and family stories state that she was an Indian princess.

As early as the late 1500’s, the Sandusky tribe lived on the banks of the Sandusky River in Ohio. For some reason the tribe …. Read More here

LCprl Jean Pierre Dowling, KIA in Vietnam - USMC

The team moved to 598379 and was going to await the helicopters or until darkness and then move out.

After waiting an hour. the VC opened up on the team again from about 10 feet away. This broke up the team. The initial burst killed LCpl DOWLING. LCpl SOLOVSKOY returned fire and killed two VC
…. Read More here

Merrill McGilligan

Merle [Merrill] McGilligan, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. T.H. [Thomas & Zula Hall] McGilligan, of Algona, former residents of this city, died yesterday at 6:30 p.m. at the Mercy hospital in Mason City. The young man had been operating a gravel truck near Lake lake, and Saturday evening with a group of friends had gone to Bayside park to swim. He dove into a shallow part of the lake and broke his neck. He was taken to the hospital in Mason City for medical attention.

Farm Tragedy

A tragic moment in Time regarding the Stevens family happened in 1936 on the farm of Harry and Jennie Stevens in the Skelton Township of Carlton County MN when Harry Eugene (Gene) Stevens accidentally drove over his brother James Eugene Stevens (age 2) with a tractor.

Wagon Accident

Another tragedy for the Stevens happened on a steep grade in Colorado where Ida May Slawson Stevens died at age 49 when a wagon she was riding in overturned and she was killed.

1983: Madison West Goes 18-2 to Win the State Hockey Championship

Dan Gavigan grandson of Thomas Leo Gavigan was a member of this Team

The only State Hockey Championship in School History!

Grandchildren of Maggie McCue and John Lunda

Kay and Karen Lunda

(Kay) 1972 Winter Olympics – 500 metres in Sapporo, Japan
(Karen) Alternate for the 1976 U.S. team in Innsbruck, Austria

Royal Lineage

Q: Where did the original Statue of Liberty on Lake Mendota end up?

Answer: The Bill Weege farm near Barneveld Wisconsin

Rev. Edward L. Buckner Dies After Being Shot Near His Home

Rev. Edward L. Buckner, of Zalma, died last Friday morning at the Cape hospital where he had been taken for an operation after being shot by an unknown person near his home Thanksgiving morning.
He was but a short distance from his home when the shots were fired at him with a shot gun.

Those That served

Upcoming Birthdays

Thomas DURKIN	28 JUL
Matthias HARDYMAN	28 JUL
John Michael MCDERMOTT	28 JUL
Mark Edward GALWAY	28 JUL
Charles Calvin HALL	29 JUL
Mabel R GORDEE	29 JUL
Syrvie A BUYATT	29 JUL
Ebenezer C SLAWSON	30 JUL
Regina CROWLEY	30 JUL
Sara Elizabeth KUBIAK	30 JUL
Seba HODGE	31 JUL
Maria Catharina RUPP	31 JUL

Upcoming Anniversaries

Cliva A DUMOND and Flora Ellen CROWLEY	30 JUL
Michael James GALWAY and Sharon KARL	1 AUG
Silas WHEELER and Persis BREWER	12 AUG
John Hall MCGILLIGAN and Helena Marie FREKEY	12 AUG
Walter E JACKSON and Blanche FORSETH	14 AUG
Lionel DE WELLES and Lady Joan WATERTON	15 AUG
Lawrence Lynn ROSLANIC and Carol Eliza FELDT	18 AUG

In Memoriam

Otto BUEGE	28 JUL 1976
John CONWAY	29 JUL 1893
Joseph James WARREN	29 JUL 1924
Katherine B SPEICH	29 JUL 1938
Anna M SNYDER	29 JUL 2001
Mary LEWIS	3 JUL 1888
Patrick F FLANERY	3 JUL 1928
Anna KUBLY	3 JUL 1949
Rachel Maria DODGE	30 JUL 1911
Frank S PYRE	30 JUL 1937
Maria Catharina RUPP	31 JUL 1800
Gracie Margaret BUCKNER	31 JUL 1892
Bridget GALLAGHER	31 JUL 1916
Bertha Mae MONAGHAN	31 JUL 1924
Jacob William STARRY	31 JUL 1940

Otto BUEGE

Birth: 07 DEC 1898
Death: 28 JUL 1976

John CONWAY

Birth: 1817
Death: 29 JUL 1893

Joseph James WARREN

Birth: 16 SEP 1853
Death: 29 JUL 1924

Katherine B SPEICH

Birth: 21 DEC 1880
Death: 29 JUL 1938

Anna M SNYDER

Birth: 22 JUN 1921
Death: 29 JUL 2001

Mary LEWIS

Birth: 01 APR 1814
Death: 3 JUL 1888

Patrick F FLANERY

Birth: 04 FEB 1854
Death: 3 JUL 1928

Anna KUBLY

Birth: 21 JUL 1874
Death: 3 JUL 1949

Rachel Maria DODGE

Birth: 26 OCT 1833
Death: 30 JUL 1911

Frank S PYRE

Birth: 31 OCT 1889
Death: 30 JUL 1937

Information about the name Gavigan (Mostly Wisconsin)