WI BIO - Dane Co - FITZGIBBON, William A.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 325-326

William A. FITZGIBBON, a farmer located on section 20, Westport Township, 
Dane County, Wisconsin, was born on Staten Island, New York, in 1850. His 
father was James FITZGIBBON, who was born about 1810, near Limerick, County 
Cork, Ireland. The grandfather of our subject was also named James 
FITZGIBBON. He [the grandfather] was a wealthy landowner in Ireland, where 
he died at about the age of sixty years. He was thrice married and reared 
but three children, one son and two daughters.

The son [the younger James] was reared at home, having a good chance for 
learning, but at the age of fourteen he lost his father [the elder James] and 
he [the elder James] had met with losses and reverses. The son [the younger 
James] started out in life at the age of sixteen years, coming to America 
with a few hundred dollars saved from the wreck of his father's fortunes. He 
came to this country on a sailing craft, consuming six weeks in the journey 
from Liverpool to New York. He had many experiences and traveled for a house 
which dealt in paints and felts, through the South in winter and the North in 
summer.

At about the age of twenty-five years, James FITZGIBBON [the subject's 
father] married Miss Elizabeth WILSON, in New York. She was born in north 
Ireland, and was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (CLARK) WILSON, of 
Donegal, and she was of Scotch ancestry. James and Elizabeth (WILSON) 
FITZGIBBON came West to Wisconsin in 1851, with two children, when William A. 
FITZGIBBON was a babe. They came by water to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and by 
team to Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, and very soon to Westport, where 
they obtained a half quarter section, 80 acres of Government land, and upon 
this he built a rough log house, 20x26, and in addition for a kitchen. They 
had a brick chimney and a large fireplace.

Subsequently James FITZGIBBON added to this, and at the time of his death he 
had 400 acres well improved with a comfortable frame house, the same one in 
which his son, William A., now resides. James FITZGIBBON died 08 December 
1885, in his seventy-second year. Elizabeth (WILSON) FITZGIBBON survived him 
four years, and died in January 1889, near [p 326] her seventieth birthday. 
They left all of their family of children still living: Edward E., at 
Phoenix [Maricopa County], Arizona; William A., of Wisconsin [the subject]; 
James M., a farmer on a part of the old farm; Elizabeth J., a teacher and a 
social leader; Ella L., the wife of George W. TAFF, at Castlewood, Dakota 
[now Castlewood, Hamlin County, South Dakota], where he is a real estate 
broker; Catherine A., a resident of St. Paul, MN, where she has been a 
teacher and now is a milliner; John W., residing in Woodland, [Teller 
County?], Colorado; Mary T., the wife of William CULLEN, at Merimac, 
[Merrimac, Sauk County], Wisconsin; and Joseph H., residing in Chicago, Cook 
County, Illinois.

William A. FITZGIBBON was reared on the farm, but had good educational 
advantages at the district school and attended for two years at the 
University. He was for five years in Government employment on the river 
improvement. For fifteen winters he taught school and was in Kansas, 
Nebraska, Dakota [Territory], some three years altogether, and gathered up 
much experience of life in these places.

William A. FITZGIBBON was married on 23 October 1888 to Miss Nora BOWLES, a 
daughter of John and Bridget (KINNEY) BOWLES, of Canada, and now are farmers 
of Dane County, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. FITZGIBBON began domestic life on a 
part of the old homestead. They have 240 acres, all of which they bought of 
the heirs of the homestead. He has been Supervisor of the township, and 
since 1887 has been Chairman. They have buried one son, named William, and 
now have one, James.

Mr. FITZGIBBON is a straight out Democrat and a member of the Roman Catholic 
Church and a temperate man. He carries on a mixed husbandry, growing mostly 
corn and oats, and keeps about 50 head of horses and cattle, and raises about 
100 head of hogs per year. He has a fine range for his stock and a good 
orchard, and has been one of the leading farmers of Dane County, WI, well 
known and esteemed, and most especially at Madison.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly