John S. McCaughan (1934)
MCCAUGHAN, PITZER
Posted By: Linda Brittain
Date: 8/8/2007 at 13:22:52
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, February 8, 1934
Page 1JOHN S. McCAUGHAN DIES
Word was received here last week of the death of John S. McCaughan, former Madison county resident, at his home in Durango, Mexico. Mr. McCaughan, who was 90 years of age, had been in poor health for several years.
He was the eldest son of the Rev. C. T. and Elizabeth McCaughan and was born in Shelby county, Ohio, in 1843. He received his education at the public schools and Urbana Academy, but he supplemented this with continuous study. After his return from the Civil war, he came to Winterset in 1865 and entered the law office of Leonard Mott, and commenced reading law and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He was married to Miss America Pitzer in 1868 and they were the parents of four children: (unreadable) ..er he was engaged in law practice in the firm of McCaughan & Dabney. Mr. McCaughan also owned a private academy here and taught for a number of years. He lived for a time on what is known as the Tileville farm, and operated a tile factory. Later he went to Des Moines and to engage in business and in 1889 was appointed by Harrison, as consul to Mexico. He has made his home in Durango, since that time.
In 1928 he was in Winterset and spent several days here visiting friends. His wife died four years ago, and he is survived by his four children.
________________________A summary of John McCaughan’s life to date written as a result of his visit to Winterset in December, 1928.
The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, December 20, 1928
Page 10, Column 3John McCaughan who was here a day or two came to Winterset with his father just after the Civil war. His father, was like all the other ministers of that church in Winterset, a very able man. Father McCaughan we called him, the original prohibitionist of Winterset, far in advance of his time. He had four sons John, Thomas, James and George, all of them able men.
John who served three years in the army in the Civil war studied law with John Leonard. He had an academy in the Disciples church which afterward became the Church of Christ. He married America Pitzer. Judge Wilkinson studied law under him. Al Dabney was his partner. The family left the county in the exodus of so many good people who went away between 80 and 88.
Mr. McCaughan was made U. S,. Consul at Durange, Mexico and served seven years. He remained in Mexico and made and lost several fortunes. His son, Allen, lives in Corpus Christi, Texas but John yet lives in Durango, in a country which he says has the most delightful climate and is wonderfully fertile.
He has led a remarkable life. He took part in a great civil war, an educator in the years following it. He was active in the litigation and turmoil of the period of rapid settlement. A manufacturer, a farmer, again a lawyer, a U. S. Consul in Mexico, a witness to a half dozen revolutions, a gold miner and a rancher. And he comes through it all with a sound body and sound mind at 85. A wonderful life!
He did not look like a McCaughan when he came into The News office the other day but when he turned his back to me there was Father McCaughan all over again.
Link to Memorial
Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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