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The McCannas were early settlers in [[Miles City]]. The matriarch and at least two sons, both with fair sized families weathered two [[fires]] and a major death. One of the sons moved on to [[Alaska]]. They are related to the [[Rooney family]]. The adults were born in County Latrim, Ireland and came from Minnesota to Miles City. Mother Bridgett ran at least one boarding house on Main Street between 3rd and 4th streets. They are Catholic, of course. In Ireland, the McCannas, and their neighbors the Hanrahans intermarried and then left for the United States in the Fall of 1867. And the immigration record of Myles McCanna puts him in the United States no later than 4/4/1868, settling near Padua, MN. There were at least three households: Myles, James S. and Michael Bernard, all had their own farms. About 1868 James marries Sarah Ann Duffy. Best guess is that Myles was the father and Michael and James were his sons. (Or they could all be brothers). Presumably, their mother Bridgette was with them, as she is with them when they arrive in Miles City and their unmarried sister, also named Bridgette. In September, 1875 both Myles and James sold their farms; a locust plague devastated Minnesota from 1872-1875, being especially hard-hitting in 1874. Also in 1874, Micheal marries Katherine Ann Rooney, whose family had emigrated through Canada, and a branch had moved to this part of Minnesota in such numbers that the area was named after them. Katherine had been a local school teacher for 2 years. At the age of 20 Katherine Ann became the community's first teacher; she taught in a one-room schoolhouse a mile or so from the present-day Padua. The teacher's contract is signed by her and by the school director, her cousin Hugh Rooney, [[13 Mau 1872]]. Hugh ends up living with Katherine about the time her husband dies in Alaska. Michael and family headed west either that Fall 1875 or in the Spring of 1876. His 2nd child James is born in Fargo, ND December 1876. Presumably, Myles dies about this time, since he isn't mentioned in Miles City AFAIK. Mother Bridgett and probably Michael arrive in 1877, Michael's family (Katherine Rooney McKanna and 2 children) arrives in 1878. Sister Bridgette came either in 1877 or 1878. For 10 years, he is involved in construction projects. In 1883, he's listed as a teamster. The family lived on 4th Street, between Main and Pleasant, around the corner from mother Bridgett. Sister Bridgette immediately marries [[Charles Johnson]] (1878). Johnson was one of the original suttlers, with the troops in the cantonment. He was the first merchant to set up shop when they were evicted from camp to the site of Oldtown. He and Bridgette were also the first white parents in the area. James arrives at least by 1878 and his family follows in 1881. James is listed as a teamster and a railroad contractor in 1878 and 1881. They built a hotel at the corner of Casey and Jew St in old Milestown in 1878 and moved the building to Miles City in 1880. Known as the "Tongue River House" or more often, "Mrs. McCanna's house". 1880 Census: Michael is a laborer and in his house live his wife and three children, plus mother Bridget and Maggie (listed as a wife?) In [[8 Feb 1883]], James McCanna dies, leaving Sarah and 5 children. [[18 Jan 1884]] The Ursuline nuns stayed at her boarding house when they first arrived in Miles City and described the filth quite graphically in their letters home to the motherhouse in Toledo. [[23 Apr 1884]] Ad in YJ: Furnished rooms to rent at my house corner of Fourth and Main streets. Mrs. McCanna. [[2 Jun 1884]] 1 am Monday morning, a fire broke out in the home of Mrs. Sarah McCanna at Third and Main. Discovered by a soldier and Gus Malden, who raised the alarm. The upper floor rooms had light cloth lining the walls instead of plaster and the house went up quickly. The night watchman and deputy sheriffs Conley and Zahl had been at the RR depot waiting to arrest someone on the incoming train, but on hearing the yelling, ran to the fire, firing off the 2 shots that indicated a fire. The wind was blowing across Main (northward) so only the back of the adjoining house received extra damage, about $100 worth. Using only pumps and buckets, the citizenry turned out and saved as much furniture as they could and the house being unable to save the house, worked to save the remaining structures to the west, towards the river. Mrs. McCanna only discovered the fire by seeing its reflection. The fire started in an upstairs room and came down the chimney. Soon she was overcome with smoke and was only able to escape with the help of neighbors. The house was seven years old and one of the oldest ones in town, having been dismantled from its original site in old Milestown and moved here in 1877. It was old fashioned but comfortable and estimated to be worth about $1000, and was mostly covered by insurance. The adjacent building was owned by Chinese laundryman Gee Lee. They emptied their building and doused it with water. The damaged laundry was "bad" but "as Sunday was past the stock of washing on hand was light". A keg of powder was placed in the laundry building to blow it up if needed, but the wind changed and they didn't have to use it. B. McCanna, who lived in the second house from his mother's burning building, was carrying valuables from his house, including an incubator and a packaged mixture of dynamite and giant powder which he stacked near the barn. A spark ignited the package, blowing the end out of the incubator, scattering chickens and eggs all over and causing the crowd to fall back. [[17 Mar 1885]] A fire broke out in the 2 story building on Main near Fourth Street, the front of which was Toy Siug's laundry. A multitude of alarm shots brought a large crowd who rescued belongings and tried to put the fire out. Apparently, between the flames and the ignited keg of gunpowder, the buildings on each side were also destroyed, a small house to the west and Mrs. McCanna's house on the corner of Main and Fourth. Her house was valued at $600 and was insured. Total damage estimated at $1200 - $1500. [[18 Mar 1885]] A fire left Mrs. [[M. McCanna]] homeless and [[Towner Savage]], [[Major Borchart]] and [[Sam O'Connell]] took up a subscription for her, raising $150. Two days later the YJ published a different version: Smoke was pouring into Mrs. McCanna's house pretty lively when [[Dave Roche]] and [[Jim Whelan]] and other burst the door open and wakened Mr. and Mrs. Judd who also lived on the corner. Their furniture was all removed but Mrs. McCanna, lived in the next house, where the fire started, lost everything. [[Kid Roche]] and Jim Whelan had their hair and hands burned in the efforts to save property. A keg of powder was placed in one of the buildings, but Jim Whelan saw it and removed it. [[George Silverberg]] heard McCanna's hens cackling and transferred them from the coop to a place of safety. He also saved her cat. Probable cause was thought to be a lamp explosion. [[Judge Conger]] organized the bucket brigade. [[16 Apr 1885]] The Whitesides have taken the contract to rebuild another house for Mrs. McCanna on the site of the burned structure. [[1 Jul 1885]] the new house has a roof and will soon be completed. During 1885, Mrs. B. McCanna spent $2000 on 2 buildings and Mrs. M. McCanna spent $800 on a residence (according to a list of construction for the year). Apr 1886 ad: Leave your clothes at the Miles City dying works back of McCanna's. In 1886, the family moves to Alaska, and they quickly become involved in the gold rush, establishing a claim near Douglas, Alaska. Dec 1886: [[Abe LeRoy]] receives a letter from [[Jimmy McCanna]] who is with his father in Alaska. He tells his "old pard" that he doesn't like Alaska as there ain't enough winter there. Sep 1887 Bridgetta McCanna owed $1 as a witness in probate court by the board of county commissioners. [[2 Mar 1890]] Mrs. Bridgetta McCanna, an old resident of MC, died on Sunday at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Maggie Mathews, at Williston, ND. She was quite elderly and feeble when she left MC to live with Maggie. She had quite a bit of real estate which yielded her considerable income at one time, but as the town shifted focus to the east, became less profitable. [[13 Jun 1899]] on way back from gold fields with son Jim, Michael dies of Bright's Disease after a few years of affliction (abt 55). His daughter, Lizzie, went up on the Topeka RR from Skagway to Lake Bennett, met James there, and helped him bury their father. After her son's wife, Alma Gribble, died in 1909, she helped care for Philip's children, Hugh Hiliary and Philip. They lived with her son Hiliary at Eagle River, north of Juneau. Then between 1917-1923 she moved to Goldendale. There she took care of the two boys and their sister, Frances, until Philip remarried in 1925. When her daughter Elizabeth died in 1930, Katherine Ann took care of her brother-in-law, Robert Willis, in Goldendale. Katherine died in 1939. She was living at the time with Philip's daughter, Frances, and her husband, William Ruff. She had moved down to live with them after Katherine Margaret Willis, the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Willis, her granddaughter, had finished college in Seattle. ==Michael's family== Michael Bernard McKanna/McCanna b: 1846 in Waterford or Leitrim, Ireland ; d. 13 Jun 1899 in Alaska. Katherine Ann ROONEY b: 02 APR 1852 in Farrellton, Quebec, Canada; d. 1939 LA, CA. Elizabeth Elinor MCKANNA b: 13 MAY 1875 in Grove Lake, MN; d. 1930 Goldendale, WA; m. Rbt J Willis James Adelbert MCKANNA b: 16 DEC 1876 in Fargo, D.T.; d. 1918 Portland, OR; m. Francis G. Morrissette 1911; d. of pneumonia on trip to wife's family in AL. His father-in-law gave them $10,000 for a house, which was one of the best in the area. James studied at ?seminary?, worked gold fields with his father, ran a ferry company in Juneau, then was a merchant and finally a realtor. Emmett Joseph MCKANNA b: 08 JUN 1879 in Miles City; d. 1958 Yakima, WA; m. Lilian Penglase 1885 MI John MCKANNA b: 07 JUN 1882 in Miles City; d. ? Phillip Francis MCKANNA b: 17 MAY 1884 in Miles City; tried to find gold in Alaska.; d. 1940 LA, CA. 2 wives and 7 children. Robert J. MCKANNA b: 21 MAY 1889 in Douglas, Alaska; d. 1958 Fairbanks, AK; m. Theodocia L. Wheeler; worked on the docks, probably with Jim's ferry co. Served in WWI. Hillary M. MCKANNA b: 11 JUN 1892 in Douglas, Alaska; d. 1957, Spokane, WA mental hospital, hung himself (manic-depressive psychosis and cerebral arteriosclerosis); Farmer/Clerk/Railway Ag Dishman, transfer business; m. Vivian L. McDonald 1929 ==James' family== ==Bridgette's family==
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