The McCarvilles (Monohan to Bear Creek, Sauk County, Wisconsin)

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The McCarville family’s history is closely linked with our own family.  In Irish John Smith’s obituary we see Frank McCarville’s name listed first in the names of out of town mourners.  There were two Frank McCarvilles living in Bear Creek during this time.  Both were related.   One Frank McCarville enlisted in the Wisconsin 49^th Regiment, Company C, with Irish John Smith’s step-father, William Rooney.   The younger Frank McCarville attended Irish John Smith’s funeral in Kimball, South Dakota. 

There are three families which had close ties with “Irish” John Smith and his family.  These include the McCarville, Coyle and Farrell families of Wisconsin.   

Frank McCarville appears in probate and government records for our ancestors and cousins.  Bernard McCluskey died in 1898 leaving two minor children.  Frank Carville was appointed guardian for Bernard’s minor children.  Bernard married “Irish” John Smith’s first cousin, Alice Greenan.  William Rooney and Frank McCarville signed a surety bond to save the McCluskey family farm after Bernard’s death.  We believe this family is related to our own, but we do not know how yet. 

From “Irish” John Smith’s obituary we read:  “There were so many out of town people attending the services that it is impossible to mention names.  Those from out of state were Frank McCarville, Arthur McCluskey and John G. Sullivan of Lone Rock, Wisc., Genevieve McPhillips and Miss Rose Love of Spring Green, James Smith, Sam Farrell, P.J. Smith, Mrs. Mary Benton and Mrs. Will Coyle of Madison, all of Wisconsin.  Mrs. Benton was Mrs. Smith's bridesmaid when she was married in 1874."  All are known relatives except for Frank McCarville and Samuel Farrell. 

The following article was sent to us by the Sauk County Historical Society in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

McCarville 

James McCarville, born around 1830 in County Monaghan, Ireland, came to America as a young man in the late 1840’s.  He married Julia Phelan, daughter of John and Katherine Slavin Phelan, and they settled on the farm now owned by Norbert Nelson in northern Bear Valley.  Julia’s parents also settled in Bear Valley on what is now the Wayne Faber farm. 

James McCarville had two brothers who lived in this area, Hugh John, and Frank.  Frank never married, and lived with James for some time.  He also worked on the Beckwith farm in Little Bear. 

James and Julia Phelan McCarville were the parents of nine children:  John H., 1858 -1889; Daniel, who died in infancy in 1860; Katherine, born in 1862, who married Edward Coyle; Frank, born in 1863, who married Julia Farley; Denis, 1864-66; Delia, who married William Keegan; Mary A., who died an infant in 1868; Mamie, born in 1870, who married Peter Kessenich; and Frances, (Fannie), who married Joseph Kaney. 

Julia Phelan McCarville died in 1874 at the age of thirty-four, and James McCarville then married Julia Sullivan, but there were no children born to this union. 

Frank McCarville grew up and bought the farm now owned by Richard Schmid and lived there with his wife, Julia Farley.  She was the daughter of John and Margaret Dwyer Farley.  They were the parents of eleven daughters and one son, and they also raised a girl who was not their own child.  Their children were: Genevieve (Polly), who married Adolph Roessler; Monica, who married Leo Greenheck; Bessie, who married W.J. Dwyer; Rae, who married Daniel Kerth; Viola, who never married; Loretta, who married Walter Blair; Camilla, who married E.R. Metz; Marguerite, who never married; Bernadine, who married Gordon Poad; Vivian, who never married; Madelin, who married Wilfred Sandburn; and James, who married Alma Nachreiner.  They also raised Mary McCluskey, who married Francis Bettinger.  (Editor’s note:  This may have been Margaret McCluskey. 

The McCarvilles lived for some time in the A.L. Hulbert house, which sets up on a hill overlooking Hilldrop School.  Later their son, James, took over the farm, and he also lived in that house.  James and Alma Nachreiner McCarville were the parents of five children:  James, who married Eileen Weiss; Philip, who married Sue Marklein; Ray, who married Wilma Buckingham; Terrance, deceased; and a daughter, Mary Beth, who is married to James Schaghack. 

Frank McCarville 

The following was taken from ‘A Standard History of Sauk County, Wisconsin, Volume II, by Harry Ellsworth Cole, dated 1918: 

FRANK McCARVILLE, a native of Sauk County and member of one of its oldest families, was blessed with health and strength and with the enterprise that enables any man to make the best of his circumstances and opportunities.  He has employed these advantages to help himself and help his community, and is numbered among the ablest farmers and citizens of Bear Creek Township. 

Mr. McCarville was born in Bear Creek Township May 1, 1863, a son of James and Julia McCarville.  His parents came from Ireland in 1847 and in that year, before Wisconsin became a state, located in the wilderness of Bear Creek Township, where they began the development and improvement of a wilderness tract of eighty acres.  The father was prospered in his endeavors and subsequently acquired 200 acres more, all of which he saw well cleared and improved before his death which occurred in October, 1910.  His wife passed away in 1874.  Their children were :  John, deceased; Daniel, deceased; Frank, Catherine, Delia and Mamie. 

Frank McCarville has spent all his life in the locality where he was born, and as a boy he attended the local public schools.  About the time he married in November, 1891, he settled on his present farm, where he now owns 340 acres.  Some of this land was improved and cleared by his own hands, and any part of it is now worth several times what he paid for it.  Mr. McCarville conducts general farming operations, keeps about sixty head of livestock, is a breeder of Holstein cattle, and runs a dairy of thirty-nine cows.  Mr. McCarville is a democrat in politics, belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and he and his family worship in the Catholic Church. 

On November 27, 1891, he married Julia Farley, daughter of John and Margaret (Dwyer) Farley.  Mr. and Mrs. McCarville have not only enjoyed prosperity in a material sense but they take much credit themselves for the fine family of children who have grown up or are growing up within their home.  These children named in order of birth are: Genevieve, Monica, Bessie, Rae, Viola, Loretta, Camilla, Marguerite, Bernadine, Vivian, Madeline and James. 

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Saint Patrick Cemetery
Bear Creek Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin 

McCarville, Alma E., b. 1903, d. 1968, s/w James F. McCarville, Row 2W
McCarville, Francis, b. 1838, d. 1925, Co. C, 49th WVI, s/w Hugh McCarville, Row 4E
McCarville, Frank, b. 1859, d. 1948, father, Row 1E
McCarville, Hugh, b. Sep 15, 1848, d. Jan 19, 1897, Co. A, 49th WVI, s/w Francis McCarville, Row 4E
McCarville, James F., b. 1910, d. 1989, Row 2W
McCarville, Julia, b. 1870, d. 1950, mother, s/w Frank McCarville, Row 1E
McCarville, Marguerite J., b. 1903, d. 1981, s/w Frank McCarville, Row 1E
McCarville, Mary Vivian, b. 1905, d. 1948, dau., s/w Frank McCarville, Row 1E
McCarville, Terrance C., b. May 13, 1944, d. Oct 17, 1963, USMC, s/w James F. McCarville, Row 2W
McCarville, Viola V., b. 1898, d. 1979, dau., s/w Frank McCarville, Row 1E 

Our Lady of the Fields Cemetery
Bear Creek Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin 

McCarville, Daniel, b. 1860, d. 1860, s/w James McCarville, Row 4
McCarville, Dennis, b. 1864, d. 1866, s/w James McCarville, Row 4
McCarville, James, d. Oct 12, 1908, 78y, Row 4
McCarville, John H., b. 1858, d. 1889, s/w James McCarville, Row 4
McCarville, Julia (Sullivan), b. 1828, d. 1920, Row 5
McCarville, Julia, d. Jan 8, 1874, 34y, wife, s/w James McCarville, Row 4
McCarville, Mary A., b. 1868, d. 1868, s/w James McCarville, Row 4 

How are Smiths linked to McCarvilles? 

At this time we do not know for certain.  One of Frank McCarville’s descendants thought Frank and John Smith were related, but did not know how.  At any rate there was a close, personal relation between our family and the McCarvilles.  McCarville does appear on the Smyth family tree as shown below.  This chart shows the family tree for our Scottish Smyth cousins.  In the early part of the 20^th century Irish John Smith’s cousins from Scotland immigrated and settled in Bear Creek Township.  Those who lived in Bear Creek included Louisa Smith and four of her children – Thomas, Patrick, Bridget and James.  Louisa’ husband, Patrick, stayed in Scotland with their remaining children.   

The Smyth (Smith) family of Scotland originally lived in County Monaghan.  Owen and Bridget Smyth moved to Scotland during the famine years and by 1850 could be found living in County Midlothian, Scotland. 

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November 2009