WI BIO - Dane Co - McCAUGHN, Alexander
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 240-241

Alexander McCAUGHN, a farmer of Dane Township, Dane County, WI, was born in 
County Antrim, Ireland, 12 Jul 1822, a son of Charles and Sarah (CHRISTY) 
McCAUGHN, also natives of that country. The father followed the blacksmith's 
trade during his entire life, and his death occurred in Ireland in 1837, at 
the age of sixty years. The mother survived her husband many years, dying in 
Delaware County, NY, at the age of about eighty years. They were the parents 
of five sons and three daughters, of whom our subject is the youngest child.

Alexander McCAUGHN came to America in the spring of 1841, at the age of 
nineteen years. He came on the sail vessel "Francis D. Paul," an America 
three-master in the cotton trade, and they were six weeks from Liverpool to 
New York City, having been driven out of their course by a heavy storm of 
three weeks. Mr. McCAUGHN immediately joined his brother, William, in 
Delaware County [NY], who had come to this country two years previous, and 
soon found work in the hay fields. He spent fourteen years in Delaware 
County, and thirteen years of that time was employed by one man, formerly a 
sailor. He succeeded in saving $1,000 from his monthly earnings, but 
afterward lost $200. In the fall of 1855 he purchased 120 acres of land in 
West Point Township, Columbia County, WI, for which he paid $800. Two years 
afterward he sold that place for $1,700, to be paid for in wheat at 75 cents 
per bushel, and at the rate of $200 a year. This was considered a wild 
bargain, but he sold his wheat at $2 to $2.75 per bushel. After selling his 
land, Mr. McCAUGHN immediately came to this place and bought 120 acres of his 
sister-in-law, for which he paid $2,000. He bought the place for timber 
land, but the timber had been mostly stolen. [Pine was the wood of choice 
for construction of buildings; the author here is probably referring to the 
valuable pine having already been removed from the timberland purchased by 
the subject.] He was obliged to go in debt for this place, paying seven 
percent interest, and the first year he borrowed the money to pay the 
interest, paying ten percent on the latter. Our subject now owns 200 acres 
[p 241] of fine land, but for the past year he has rented his entire place. 
When he came to this State there were no regular laid roads, and his dwelling 
was a small frame cabin. He erected his present frame house in 1861, at the 
beginning of the late war. Although Mr. McCAUGHN took no part in that 
struggle, he aided materially with his means. Politically he affiliates with 
the Republican party.

In 1856 our subject [Alexander McCAUGHN] was married to Margaret STEELE, a 
native of Delaware County, New York, and a daughter of Robert STEELE, a 
farmer by occupation. She departed this life in 1874, at the age of 50 
years, and three years afterward Mr. McCAUGHN married Miss Mahala STEELE, a 
native of Baraboo [Sauk County, WI], and a daughter of Samuel STEELE, who was 
born in Delaware County, New York. The latter was a brother of Mr. 
McCAUGHN's first wife. To this union has been born five sons: Charles, 
deceased in infancy; William A., aged fourteen years; Rolla, twelve years; 
Emery, nine years; and Howard, five years.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly