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

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.

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.

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

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)

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.

Hospitality

Gavigan Hotel (Blanchardville WI), John Starry (Higbee Hotel 102 S Iowa St Dodgeville), Edward McGilligan (512 Oak St Arena WI), Doran (512 Oak St), Crowley (512 Oak St), Rupp (Vilas House, Park Hotel), Murphy (Vilas House), John R McGilligan (Lake City Hotel, Lake View Hotel), Trotter, and Williams owned or worked at lodging and/or Dining establishments (Hotels, Resorts, Pool Halls, and Taverns)

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.

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.

5 Mabbott’s Fight in the Civil War

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

Charles Bradford THOMPSON	21 JUL
Nicholas Ben LUND	21 JUL
Anna KUBLY	21 JUL
Leo CROWLEY	21 JUL
Persis BREWER	22 JUL
Louis William SCHWARTZ	22 JUL
Anton YAGER	22 JUL
Maynard Franklin CULVER	22 JUL
Estella BUCKNER	23 JUL
Obert Raymond LUND	24 JUL
Charles Norman MEYER	25 JUL
Ruth Annette DORAN	25 JUL

Upcoming Anniversaries

Gerland Eugene PURCELL and Sylvia Ann HUGHES	21 JUL
Robert K BENKERT and Marjorie Ann BENKERT	21 JUL
Adrianus ONGHENAEIJ and Catharina KIPS	24 JUL
Marcus Carl ENGSTROM and Luanne MCGILLIGAN	24 JUL
Cliva A DUMOND and Flora Ellen CROWLEY	30 JUL
Michael James GALWAY and Sharon KARL	1 AUG
Silas WHEELER and Persis BREWER	12 AUG

In Memoriam

Joannes CAMMAERT	21 JUL 1832
Johann Adam RUPP	21 JUL 1854
Isabell J BRAZEL	21 JUL 1869
Joseph CLEFTON	21 JUL 1872
Ahira PARTRIDGE	21 JUL 1937
Melba Laurine SEVERSON	22 JUL 1972
Mary Ann GAVIGAN	22 JUL 1994
Romaine WILLIAMS	23 JUL 1928
Margaret CLEARY	23 JUL 1950
John Hall MCGILLIGAN	24 JUL 1983
Ellen Jane RUPP	25 JUL 1900
Eugene Anthony GAVIGAN	25 JUL 1959
Daniel Clement GAVIGAN	26 JUL 1976
Virginia Ann WHEELER	26 JUL 1983
Valeria A O'BRIEN	26 JUL 2002

Joannes CAMMAERT

Birth: 11 NOV 1759
Death: 21 JUL 1832

Johann Adam RUPP

Birth: 06 APR 1767
Death: 21 JUL 1854

Isabell J BRAZEL

Birth: Unknown
Death: 21 JUL 1869

Joseph CLEFTON

Birth: 25 DEC 1826
Death: 21 JUL 1872

Ahira PARTRIDGE

Birth: 22 JUN 1854
Death: 21 JUL 1937

Melba Laurine SEVERSON

Birth: 17 MAY 1916
Death: 22 JUL 1972

Mary Ann GAVIGAN

Birth: 05 APR 1903
Death: 22 JUL 1994

Romaine WILLIAMS

Birth: 24 JAN 1879
Death: 23 JUL 1928

Margaret CLEARY

Birth: 19 MAR 1867
Death: 23 JUL 1950

John Hall MCGILLIGAN

Birth: 26 JUN 1909
Death: 24 JUL 1983

Information about the name Gavigan (Mostly Wisconsin)