- WILLIAM JAMES COWIE. who for a number of years has been a
well-known citizen of West
- Superior, Douglas county, was born in Rock county, Wis.,
May 1, 1859. His parents were Henry and Ann (GALBRAITH) COWIE,
both natives of Scotland, who came to the United States about
1850.
- Henry COWIE settled at first in North Carolina, where he
was overseer of a plantation for about
- five years. From there he went to Michigan, and from there
a year or so later to Rock county, Wis., where he located on
a farm near Johnstown Center. A few years later he moved to Dane
county, Wis., and in 1876 went to Madison, where he lived in
retirement until his death in 1885, at the age of seventy. His
religious faith was that of the Congregational Church, and his
political principles those of the Republican party. Mrs. Ann
(GALBRAITH) COWIE was born near Glasgow, where she was attending
school when Queen Victoria was crowned. She died in Superior
Feb. 5, 1901, when seventy-nine years of age. Mr. and Mrs. COWIE
were the parents of three sons and two daughters, one of the
latter dying in childhood. The other children are: Jane F., Mrs.
John FOLEY, of Superior; Henry A., of the L. S. car service association,
of Superior; John G. and William J., well known as COWIE Brothers,
of West Superior.
- William J. COWIE received his early education in the district
schools, and in 1886 went to
- Madison and took a course at the Northwestern Business College.
For three or four years he was employed in a store conducted
by his brothers at Mt. Horeb, Wis. Then he spent a year in the
shops of the Milwaukee Harvester Co., at Milwaukee, and on the
road as a traveling expert; and four more years was in Edmunds
county, S.D., a local agent for agricultural implements. In 1890
he came to West Superior, where he spent a year in the hay and
feed commission business. Mr. COWIE then became interested in
the manufacture of sash, doors,mouldings, etc., and in 1892 built
a factory at Twenty- second street and Butler avenue, where he
and his brother still carry on the business under the firm name
of COWIE Bros., and employ as many as twenty men at some seasons
of the year.
- On April 12, 1892, Mr. COWIE married Elizabeth SHAW, daughter
of Thomas SHAW, of
- Duluth. Mrs. COWIE was a native of New England, where she
was born July 22, 1871; she died in West Superior, April 18,
1900, leaving a son, Earl G., born Feb. 25, 1893; and an infant
son, who lived but nine months.
- In the spring of 1900 Mr. COWIE was elected a member of the
city council from the Seventh
- ward and reelected in 1902. As chairman of the Finance committee,
he took part in refunding the city's bonded debt. He has always
been a Republican in politics. Fraternally he is a Mason and
a member of the M.W.A., Whaleback Camp.
-
- [Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Upper Lake Region" (c)1905 J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago;
p. 323]
|