Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-23
Death OF james RO00n.

settlers of WATERFOWL and an old pioneer
of Wisconsin, James Rogan, who expired
at his home in the Third ward last FRI
day forenoon, December IS, 1885, in the
87th year of his age. Mr. Rogan had
been in failing health from ailments
incident to old age for several years past,
but was usually able to be about until
within the past few weeks, A few DAYS
previous to his death he suffered a stroke
OF paralysis from the effects OF which he
meyer rallied. He was one Of the few
left among us who represented the con-
Meeting link between the long past and
the present, and his demise is another
reminder of how rapidly the old pioneers
are being gathered to their fathers. Mr..
Rogan for the most part lived a retired
life and put himself forward but seldom
for positions of honor ana prefermeEt
His biographers fail to mention the fact
that Captain Rogan enlisted during the
War of the Rebellion IN the Third Wis
consin (Barstow'S Cavalry, remaining in
the regiment some time while it was sta
toned in Kansas. Mr.. Rogan took great
interest in politics and was always an
ardent Democrat. In pioneer days he
was proverbial for hospitality and gener.
GUS actions and to the close of life was
possessed of strong personal friendships
and the kindest impulses. True he had
his eccentricities and failngs but who
has attained to his age and is without
them? He was among the best known
of the old settlers of Wisconsin and The
news of his death will be learned by
them with sincere regret. The narrative
of his long life can best be given by
publishing the following taken from the
Western Historical Company's History
of Jefferson County, 1879:
flames Rogan, farmer; porn IN County DowA,
| Ireland, Aug IL. 1799 and came to Wjcco psin in
the fall of 1885, locating in Green Bay. Mr..
Rogan was engaged in the distilery business in
GAINESVILLE, Ohio; he then moved to Cleveland.
Ohio, and bought a grocery and provision store.
| which he continued unit he was burnt ont.
when. he bought lake vessel, the Gramprs,
which he ran from Buffalo to Other points on he
| lakes; on March 1877, he moved, with nis fsm-
| lily, to Watertown, Wis, and made his claim in
| sec. 4, Towns, Range Is east in 1S4S-49 he was
| appointed lighthouse keeper at Milwaukee; he
was also one of the committee hat named the
county and town where he liv ed. He married
May 16, 1929, Sarah Duffy, OF Jreland; he has one
child llv1ng-Sarah Jane, now Mrs. Tennien. Mr.
and Mrs. Rogan are members of St. Berpard's
Catholic Church.
Capt James Rogan is one of the few who still
| live to relate the circumstances of Watertown's
nrst settlement The Captain is now eli gbtv
years OF age. He converses upon the subject
| OF pioneer days in Wisconsin in the manner of
| one In the possession of good memory, and is
glfted with the faculty of depicting the early
events with wonderful detail, and coloring them
| with that happy Munchausen hue so faithfully
employed by writer's of the modern daily press
| He acquired the title of Captain through being
| the commander of schooner which ploWed the
| treacherous waters of Lake Michigan and be-
longs to that army of 'old salts" whose weather
| eye is ever on the alert for Fortune Ha~bor In
1896, the Captain made! several trims in his
vessel from Cleveland to Milwaukee, and in the
latter year he abandoned the mission of ma liner
when In port at the latter village, establishing
himself there in the general mercF andise bust
ness. In the summer of 1896, Charles Seaton
who, as already related, came to the present site
OF WATERFOWL with Timothy johnson and Reeve
Griswold and located a cainl returned to Mil
waukee, where he met Capt. Rogan. The beau
ties of Rock River Valley were narrated by SeaCon
with such eloquent effect that the Captain con-
cluded to cast his lot in that direction Excbanq
ing his schooner, which rode at anchor in the
lake, for Seaton's land claim, he made prepara
tons to remove, with his family to the spot pre-
destined to be their home for many years. In
January, 1887, the Captain came to the Rapids
maze claim on the west side of the river, built
house thereon, and returned to Milwaukee for
his family and friends The party consisted of
Capt Rogan, his wife and two daughters ftbe
eldest of whom afterward became the wife of DR..
Cody, Peter Rogan and Ezra Dolliver. They
arrived Mt johnson Rapids on the I'd of March.
1887, and camped on the west side Of the river.
Their first work was the construction ola double
log house on the site now occupied by Woodland
&sStone's bakery. The Captains shanty at once
became the headquarters of all new arrivals and
was for some time regarded as 1.-THE leading
hotel at Johnsons Rapids" Gov J.udington and
his uncle, Harvey Burchard and John Hustis.
are among those who have roasted Irish potatoes
the Captains native fruit) in the hospitable fire.
place of the Hotel de Rogan."
POTATOES cost me twenty shilling bushel in
Chicago" says the Captain, sand four shillings
a bushel to bring them here from Milwaukee:
but consider them cheap even at this price.
when think of the good solid comfort we had
| baking them in the ashes and eating them with
| the jackets on. When came here, continued
| the Captain, after solemn pause, "there were
over fonr hundred Winneoago Indians camped
within half a mile of the place whereon built
my shanty. But they were the best neighbors
ever had. ! brought with me from Milwaukee
large supply of that indispensable concomitant
which figures SO largely in the complete COM
missariat of every frontiersman. 1t was of
good quality, too, and when sold or traded it
to the Indians RETAINED from the reprehensibIe
ra ofica n diutiDo IL with 1yater-a proo;;oa