Hugh Carrigan,   a prominent and estimable citizen of Boon Lake Township, was born in Hoosic Falls, Bennington County, Vermont, March 6, 1850, a son of Michael and Mary (Goodman) Carrigan.   At the age of four years he was brought to Walworth County, Wisconsin, and there attended school until fourteen years of age.   Then with his mother he came to Houston County, Minnesota, and worked out on various farms until 1868.   Then he rented a farm for two years.   In 1870 he came to Renville County and homesteaded 160 acres in section 22 and 27.   With him came his mother, and his brothers, Owen, John, and Michael.   The land when he secured it was all wild.   He broke the land, erected a shanty and endured all the hardships incident to pioneer life.   Twice their crops were destroyed by grasshoppers and twice by hail.   From time to time he added to his farm, until he had 320 acres.   He built a good home and outbuildings, and became one of the leading men of the community.   There he continued to work and prosper until 1912, when he sold out and retired.   The place is now owned by his sons.   He was town supervisor and road overseer and served some sixteen years on the school board of his district.   For many years he served as director of Boon Lake Creamery, which he helped to organize.

Mr. Carrigan was married May 5, 1872, to Mary McLaughlin, of Houston County, who was born February 22, 1851, and died July 5, 1910.   This union was blessed with nine children:   William J.,   Harry H.,   Michael A.,   and Edward, who are farmers in Boon Lake township;   Charles, who is principal of schools at Dinuba, California;   Mary, who is twin sister of Charles, is the wife of William Fallon, also a farmer in that township;   John, likewise a farmer nearby;   Ellen, wife of A.C. Michaelson, of Mankato;   Francis, died at the age of eighteen months.

Michael Carrigan and his wife, Mary Goodman, were born in Ireland, and married in Vermont.   In 1854 they located in Walworth County, Wis., where Michael Carrigan died the same year.   His wife came to Minnesota, and died at the age of eighty-one years.   In the family there were eight children:   James, who was killed in the Union army;   William, who died at the age of seventeen years;   Mary who died at the age of four years;   Ellen, who died in 1909;   Owen who died in 1898;   Hugh, who is living in Boon Lake township;   John who lives in Oregon;   and Michael who lives in Hutchinson.

Edward James Carrigan,   was born August 31, 1877, on the homestead of his father, Hugh Carrigan.   He attended the district school of his locality and high school at Hutchinson, later engaged in farming near Brainerd.   Next he was employed for two years on the county dredge work and five years were spent in Hutchinson on the police force.   In 1914 he rented a farm in Boon Lake township, he is still living.   He is a progressive farmer and raises good stock.   Mr. Carrigan was married October 6, 1903, to Mary Fischer, born December 20, 1887, in Janesville, Minnesota, daughter of Max and Anna (Stoiber) Fischer, natives of Germany, who were then married, came to the United States in 1885 with one child, Rosa, located on a farm in Waseca County, Minnesota, and in 1900 came to Renville county and bought a tract of 160 acres of land, where the father died in 1907 at the age of forty-eight years.   Fischer’s had the following children born in Minnesota:   Katie (deceased),   Hannah,   Anna,   Mary,   Josie,   Clara,   Max,   John,   George,   Edward,   Walter,   and Kenneth. Mr and Mrs Carrigan have had six children:   Irene,   Veronica,   George,   Eugene,   Leonard   and Lucille (deceased).   The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Owen Carrigan,   deceased, a pioneer of Boon Lake township, was born in Vermont in 1848.   He moved with his parents to Walworth County, Wisconsin, in 1855, and remained there until 1863, when he moved to Houston County, Minnesota.   He was engaged in farming and railroading until 1870, when he came to Boon Lake.   He served as assessor, supervisor and county commissioner.   He was married in 1879 to Minnie Buce, who was captured by the Indians when a child.   Her parents and four children were killed by the Indians in 1862.   Mr. & Mrs. Carrigan had six children:   Ellen,   James,   Owen,   Pauline,   Daisy   and Ernest, who died at the age of six months.   Mrs. Carrigan’s own story is told at length elsewhere in this work.   Historians are indebted to her for much intimate knowledge regarding the events of those stirring times.

Michael Carrigan,   son of Hugh Carrigan was born September 9, 1875, in Boon Lake Township.   He attended the district school and spent one and half years at the Hutchinson High School.   Then he engaged in farming, living for two years in Osceola Township, Renville County, and then locating on his present place in section 27, Boon Lake township, where he purchased 80 acres of land.   The farm was partly improved at the time of purchase and he had since erected good buildings and developed the farm.   Mr. Carrigan has just been elected township overseer under the Dunn Law.   His is the second office of the kind, his brother Harry holding the first office.   Mr. Carrigan was married in 1897 to Nettie Braithwaite, born in Chatfield, Minnesota.   They have eight children:   Dewey,   Hugh,   Mabel,   Edna,   Ellen,   Elmer,   Leona,   Mylan,   and Edith (deceased).   The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Harry Carrigan,   a farmer of Boon Lake Township, was born April 11, 1873, on section 22, Boon Lake Township, with the exception of five years has spent his life in the county.   He received his education in the district school and at Hutchinson, later engaged in farming.   At first he rented the farm of Minnie (Buce) Carrigan, Sec. 22, where he farmed for one year.   Then he went to Wisconsin and lived there about five years, coming back to Renville County and renting a farm in section 28 for about eight years.   In 1914 he purchased his present place of 140 acres, Boon Lake township.   He is interested in the progress of the farmer and in co-operative movements.   He is a member of the Catholic Church.   Mr. Carrigan was married in 1900 to Gertrude Spencer, born in Wright County, daughter of John and Margaret (Dogget) Spencer.   John Spencer was a native of Maine and his wife of New York.   He was of Irish parentage and of Irish and German parentage, her mother of German ancestry.   Mr. and Mrs. Carrigan have six children:   Bernice,   Georgiana,   Esther,   Clifton,   Vernon   and Corrine.

John H. Carrigan,   son of Hugh Carrigan, was born in Boon Lake Township on the farm where he now lives, October 27, 1881.   He received his early education at the district school and engaged in farming at the home until 1907, when he became manager of the home farm.   After two years he rented the Potter farm and remained there four years.   In 1912 he bought 160 acres, a part of the home farm, and has lived there ever since.   He has become a successful farmer, carrying on diversified farming, and has made many improvements on his farm.   June 26, 1906, he married to Mabel Braithwaite, who was born December 6, 1880.   They have the following children:   Mary Ruth, born April 27, 1907;   Clifford John, born Dec. 23, 1909;   Sarah Catherine, born September 12, 1911;   Agnes Genevieve, born May 11, 1913;   The family are all members of the Roman Catholic church.

William J. Carrigan,   son of Hugh Carrigan was born in Boon Lake Township, March 17, 1873.   He attended the district schools of the county and spent three years at the Hutchinson High school.   He then engaged in farming with his father until 1896, when he decided to work for himself and bought eighty acres in section 27.   Here he erected a home and necessary buildings and made many improvements.   He has since added eighty acres to his farm and carries on diversified farming.   He is interested in farmer’s associations and is a stockholder in the Boon Lake Co-operative Creamery, and shareholder in the Farmer’s Elevator at Buffalo Lake.   Mr. Carrigan has also been a prominent factor in the affairs of the community both politically and educationally, and served as assessor for eight years from 1906 to 1914., and is now one the deputy sheriffs, serving his third term.   He has been director of school district 120 for the last fifteen years. His faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.   Mr. Carrigan was married May 5, 1896, to Leah Funk, of Boon Lake, born January 31, 1878, daughter of Samuel and Jane (Niver) Funk, early settler of Boon Lake, now living at Weyerhauser, Wis.   The children born to these parents are:   Francis, born May 15, 1898;   Mildred born June 2, 1901;   Charles, born June 2, 1903;   Robert, born January 19, 1905;   Douglas, born April 21, 1908;   Lenora, born April 28, 1910;   and Clarice, born November 18, 1911.

• The above data of course is per the year 1916.   Some families had additional children born after 1916.
• Some names used are not their 'Given Names'.   Example: Douglas (above paragraph) is William Douglas.