1856 marriage record from the parish of Ardstraw, County Tyrone, says current residence was "Coolaughey" (Coolaghy).

See son, Robert, for quote from Crow Wing Historical Society about immigration from a county in northern Ireland around 1856. Family oral history says William came over first, followed perhaps a year later by his wife and infant son, Samuel. Margaret and Samuel (but not William) are on a passneger list for 1857.

1871 census for Canada, province of Ontario, Simcoe County (District 42), Sunnidale Township (Sub-district C), pages 70 (line 18) through 71 (line 5), family and dwelling #237 (the census-taker apparently didn't ask about the exact surname spelling and assumed "Mahon"):

P#-L# Name           Age Birthpl. Religion Origin Other info from census
----- ----           --- -------- -------- ------ ----------------------
70-18 Mahon, William  45 Ireland   Presby. Irish  Occupation = Laborer
70-19       Margaret  34 Ireland  C. Engl. Irish  Over 20 but can't write
70-20         Samuel  13 Ireland   Presby. Irish  Going to school
71-01 Mahon,   James  11    O.     Presby. Irish  Going to school
71-02      Robert J.   9    O.     Presby. Irish  Going to school
71-03      George A.   7    O.     Presby. Irish  Going to school
71-04     William T.   5    O.     Presby. Irish
71-05      Frederick   3    O.     Presby. Irish

("William T." is William Thomas, who went by his middle name in adult life to avoid being confused with his father).

Another son, Alfred, was born in 1873.

The June 15, 1880, federal census for Aitkin Twp. in Aitkin County, MN, shows:
    Wm. Maghan, 55, section hand, born Ireland
    Robt. Maghan, 19, section hand, born Canada
as boarders in at the home of Wm. Fitzpatrick, section foreman, and his wife, Mary. No other family members found in Aitkin Twp. census.

In their Declarations of Intent for U.S. Citizenship, sons Samuel, James, and George all say that they arrived in May 1881. Robert says he arrived in 1880. So perhaps, Robert (and possibly William, too) went back to Canada and brought the rest of the family to the U.S. in May of 1881.

The May 5, 1885, state census for the village of Aitkin in Aitkin County, MN, shows family #53:
    Wm Maghan, 60, born Canada{sic}
    Margt Maghan, 47, born Canada{sic}
    Thos Maghan, 19, born Canada
    Alfred Maghan, 13, born Canada
    Geo Maghan, 22, born Canada
It also shows family #51 (earlier on the same page):
    Jas Maghan, 25, born Canada (and wife Emily, 22, and daughter Larua, 2)
    Fred Maghan, 19{sic}, born Canada
Robert is in Crow Wing County by now, and Samuel has been in Duluth since the immigration.

Family oral history also says that William fell off a barge in the Mississippi and drowned. In the summer of 2001, a lengthy obituary was discovered in the basement archives of the Aitkin weekly newspaper.

[begin quote from Aitkin Age, Saturday October 10, 1885, P.4 C.5]

    Drowned

    The whole community was shocked upon Sunday evening by learning of the death by drowning on Friday night of Mr. Wm. Maghan, night watchman on the steamer Fawn. That boat upon last week, owing to her large freight business, was compelled to make two trips, leaving on her second one at noon on Friday. The accident which deprived the unfortunate man of his life occurred at about 3 a. m. on Saturday morning, the darkness at the time of its occurrance being very intense. It is not exactly known how it happened but the last seen of Mr. Maghan he started forward to cover some stacks of feed with a tarpaulin, which, leaving set his lantern upon the deck, where it was found a few minutes later, he no doubt attempted to do, but by some means stumbled or slipped off the guard between it and the barge. He came up after falling about midway of the boat right under the guard but soon floated out and beyond the boat calling to the pilot as he was swept past to "back up," and again his voice rang out upon the dark and somber night in an agonizing cry for "help," which those in hearing of the helpless man struggling with the cruel waters were unable to do. The Fawn upon this trip had no canoe or small boat with her, and although the steamer was backed at once, nothing could be seen or heard of him. At the time of the accident Mr. Maghan wore an overcoat, and even a young and expert swimmer would scarcely have been able to contend with such a weight of clothing on, much less a man of his age, and one who had not been in the water for many years.
    The scene of the drowning was at a bend in the river, which the boat was just rounding one mile above Pine Rapids, and the boat waited until daylight in the vain effort to find the remains but without avail. Upon her return further search was made but without avail.
    Wm. Maghan was a native of Duntroon, Ireland, and was 62 [sic] years of age. He had been in America something over thirty [sic] years, settling first in Canada and later coming to Duluth and finally four years ago to Aitkin. He leaves a wife and a large family of children most of whom reside at Aitkin.

[end quote]

On the same page, in the local happenings section, several other items appeared about the aftermath of the drowning, including mentions of additional searches. One item noted that "Owing to the unfortunate accident which occurred to Mr. Maghan, the father of two of the members of the band there was no music at the rink as usual" on Wednesday evening. Another note said "The funeral sermon of the late Wm. Maghan will be preached by the Rev. J. J. Edwards at the Knights of Honor hall on Sunday evening. As it is quite unlikely that the body of the unfortunate man will be found in the near future it is deemed best to have the service held now."

There is no record of his death in the Aitkin county records, presumably because no body was recovered. There is no record of his burial in Aitkin, and none in Duluth, where his wife was buried in 1896. Further searches in the newspaper archives through the summer of 1886 found no mention of a recovered body.

Margaret Maghan (widow) is in the 1891-92 Duluth city directory (but not in 1890-91), so she moved there some years after William's death.

The June 17, 1895, state census for ward 8, Duluth, St. Louis County, MN, shows family #225:
    Maghan Wm Th., 28, born Canada, Barber (and wife Agnes, 20, and daughter Magie, 3-12)
    Maghan Fred A., 25, born Canada, Barber
    Maghan Alfred O., 22, born Canada, Painter
    Mrs. Maghan Margaret (widow) , 58, born Ireland
They were residing at 422 58th Ave. The males have been a resident of MN 14 years and a resident of ward 8 for 1 year and 7 months. George A. Maghan, 32, born Canada, Painter, was living with four other guys as family #205.

Samuel, James and George became long-time residents of the Duluth area. Robert moved to Brainerd in 1883 and then to Bay Lake in 1884. W. Thomas came to Brainerd probably later in 1895 or in 1896. Frederick was in Duluth in 1889, but later, was a barber in Superior, WI.

1885 Duluth City Directory: Mahan, Samuel
1889 Duluth City Directory: Maghan, Frederick; _, George; _, James; _, Samuel
1900 Duluth census: E.D. 276 sheet 04, Maghan, Samuel, wife Emma, 5 children
1900 Duluth census: E.D. 286 sheet 07, Maghan, James, wife Emily, 5 children
1900 Duluth census: E.D. 298 sheet 13, Maghan, George, wife Edith, no children
1905 Duluth City Directory: Maghan, Frank; _, George; _, James; _, John W.; _, Samuel
        (Frank and John W. are the now-adult sons of Samuel.)

Son Robert named his 2nd-born son William Wallace Maghan, so William's middle initial of W. probably stood for Wallace.

Since William was a Presbyterian in Ireland, he may have Scottish ancestry.

• Married: 25 Jan 1856 in Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ire.
• Note: Married in the Church at Crew Bridge, in the civil parish of Ardstraw, County Tyrone.

1. Samuel Maghan | Mahan b: 22 Dec 1856 in Co. Tyrone, Ireland
2. James Maghan b: 05 Feb 1859 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.
3. Robert John Maghan b: 15 May 1861 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.
4. George Alexander Maghan b: 10 Jun 1863 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.
5. William Thomas "Tom" Maghan b: Oct 1865 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.
6. Frederick A. Maghan b: Oct 1869 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.
7. Alfred C. Maghan b: 1873 in Simcoe Co., Ontario, Can.