Available Sources
Records
1875 A. T. Andreas Atlas
1880 Dubuque County History
Honorable William B. Allison
Eugene Anderson
Sanford A. Atherton
Honorable Isaac W. Baldwin
Dickson Beatty
F. E. Behrens
Henry Bockenstedt
John Bomacke
General Caleb Hoskins Booth
Nicholas Bray, M. D.
William Bray, M. D.
Edward Brown
John D. Bush
Edward Butler
Cascade Biographies
Dr. Rodolphus Clark
Bernhard Claus, Jr.
Frank W. Coates
Honorable Dennis Nelson Cooley
Reverend Mark Cooney
Hugh Corrance
Patrick F. Cunningham
Mell H. Cushing
Peter Dawson
John Driscoll
Charles Henry Eighmey
Jesse P. Farley
George Fengler
Mrs. Catherine Fries
Albert Gasser
Henry Gehrig
A. P. Gibbs
Theodor Goerdt
John R. Goldthorp
Honorable Julius Graves
Charles H. Gregoire
Ezra Gregory
Daniel Hallahan
Nicholas Hansen
Honorable Thomas Hardie
Henry Henkels
Rev. James Hill
Nancy R. Hill, M. D.
Asa Horr, M. D.
James Howie
Edward R. Jackson, M. D.
Francis Jaeger
Henry J. Jecklin
Reverend Clement Johannes
Evan E. Jones
General George Wallace Jones
John Kantlehner
Joseph K. Kaufmann
James Kelly
John Kleinschmidt
F. H. Klostermann
A. R. Knight
Honorable Frederick M. Knoll
Paul Lattner
Honorable Wendelin Lattner
Thomas Lochner
Christian Loetscher
Norton J. Loomis
Delos E. Lyon
J. E. Maguire, M. D.
W. A. Manhart
George Marshall
M. H. Martin
Honorable James McCann
Benjamin McCluer, M. D.
Susan Ann McCraney
A. S. McDermott
James and Martha McGee
James McGrath
M. F. McNamara
Jacob Michel
Charles Miller
Adam Mink
George Mollart
William J. Morgans
James Mullin
Dorrance Dixon Myers
Nicholas P. Nicks
Frederick R. Nitzsche, M. D.
J. J. E. Norman
Honorable Peter Olinger
Bernard J. O'Neill
John P. Page
Frank Paley
John Palmer
Rev. Frederick William Pape
Thomas Phillips
Joseph Platz
Andrew Rahe
Honorable James Rowan
Reverend Roger Ryan
George Salot
Colonel C. J. W. Saunders
John Sauser, Jr.
Joseph Schemmel
George Schmitt
Short Biographies
Joseph Simones
John F. Sloan
Charles F. Smyth
Johanna (Baker) Specht
Ralph Spensley
Daniel Stallard
J. Peter Stendebach
Honorable William W. Stewart
Oren Stuart, M. D.
James Sweeney
John Tibey
Paul Traut
Matthew Tschirgi
Hon. Christian Anton Voelker
Chester H. Walker
William Watson, M. D.
F. W. Wieland
Louis Witter
Jacob Zollicoffer
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Honorable
James Rowan
Extracted from Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and
Clayton Counties, Iowa, 1894 Reprinted by Higginson Book Co., Salem,
Massachusetts, p. 143
HON. JAMES ROWAN, a capitalist of
Dubuque, who in business circles has long occupied a leading position,
was born on the Emerald Isle in 1835, and claims Dublin as his native
city. He began his education in that country. When a youth of ten years
he sailed for America, landed in New York City and thence went to Paterson,
N. J., where he learned the trade of gardening. He there worked at $2
per month for a time. He received instructions in the classics from a
Presbyterian minister, Rev. Mr. Honbloer. thus adding greatly to his education.
For some time he was employed by Rosswell Colt, then the owner of the
waters of the Passaic River. In 1846 he enlisted with the Columbia, N.
Y., Volunteers for service in California, under Colonel Stevenson, He
was engaged in duty throughout the Mexican War, and was then honorably
discharged. During his service gold was discovered in California and he
engaged in gold mining on the American River, being thus employed until
1849, when he returned to New York City. He then sailed for Dublin to
visit his parents and the friends of his youth,
After his return to the United States, Mr. Rowan came to Dubuque and has
been prominently connected with its business and leading enterprises.
He purchased land in Dubuque County and began improving the same, devoting
his time and attention to agricultural pursuits, but owing to wet seasons
this venture did not prove profitable and he left the farm and returned
to the city. Here he engaged in the grain business, shipping to the eastern
markets and to St. Louis, Mo. In 1852 he embarked in merchandising in
partnership with Christian Healey, a connection which was continued for
two years. He then began dealing in real estate, handling both city and
farm property. In 1856 he became interested in lead mining and struck
a rich lead mine from which he gained a
handsome yield, This he continued to operate until 1860. The following
year he again embarked in the grain business, in which he continued until
the close of the war, but he lost quite heavily on account of there not
being sufficient shelter for his grain along thc route. When the war ended
he began dealing and speculating in real estate, which has been his chief
occupation up to the present time, He is also interested in other industries
in Dubuque. He has met with reverses, yet with renewed resolution and
determination he has started anew, and as the result of his practical
business methods, his enterprise and perseverance. He has become one of
the substantial citizens of the community.
Mr. Rowan was married in 1852 to Miss Christina Healey, a native of Ireland,
who during her early girlhood was brought to America. They have four children,
three daughters and a son, the latter, Joseph Rowan, being a prominent
dry-goods merchant of Dubuque. The family is members of St. Patrick's
Catholic Church.
In his political views Mr. Rowan is a Democrat. In the fall of 1887 he
was elected to the Legislature as Representative from this district and
served on several important committees. He takes an active part in political
affairs and does all in his power to insure the success of his party. |