The McGinley Family
of Ozaukee County
as contributed by John P. Hansen, Ph.D.,
great great grandson of John Patrick McGinley

Daniel was quite a mover and shaker in Saukville back in the 1880's and 1890's. He taught 3rd grade at the Saukville school, was Saukville Town Clerk, Chief of the volunteer fire brigade, a leader of the Ozaukee County Republican Party, and ended his career as U.S. Consul to Athens, Greece (where he died). He was obviously very proud of the series he wrote for the STAR, as he included "writer" as one of the descriptors on his tombstone (still very readable in St. Mary's Cemetery, Saukville)

The McGinley farm was at the northwest corner of Highway "I" and Center Road. John and Daniel both enlisted in the 16th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment in Company K (the Ozaukee Rifles). Daniel made it to Corporal; John made it to Sgt. Major of the Regiment. Daniel got sunstroke on Sherman's "March to the Sea" and, as I understand it, was invalided out as a result. He eventually got a disability pension based on this. Years later, this pension was the center of a public fight he had with Fred Horn - the head of the Ozaukee County Democratic Machine. In 1873, John and Daniel were leaders in the creation of the St. Finbar Society - a temperance society associated with the St. Finbar Church over on St. Finbar Road in Saukville. They constructed a meeting hall at that site which was a major social venue for some years until some of the members got drunk and burned it down.