William Mulligan

William Mulligan (born July 23, 1838 in Glasgow , Howard County , Missouri , USA ; † June 23, 1914 in Selma , Fresno County , California , USA) was an American painter, farmer and bank director.

Life

William Mulligan's parents were John Mulligan (born May 15, 1810 in New York City, NY) and Cecilia, née Cabeen (born April 17, 1818). He was two years old when they moved from Glasgow to their mother's home in St. Louis , Missouri, in 1840 . The father opened a hardware shop there, the mother died on December 15, 1852.

William grew up in St. Louis and completed his schooling here. He then traveled to Europe for four years, including France, to further his education. In Düsseldorf he enrolled at the Royal Art Academy from 1857 to 1859 under the professor of history painting Carl Müller . He belonged to the group of American students around Emanuel Leutze and like him returned to the USA in 1859. He spent almost a year with the family in St. Louis. Then the father decided to move to California. Since there was as yet no rail link to the western United States, the steamboat took the route around the southern tip of South America to California, which was reached in 1862. After a few months in San Francisco, the family settled in Healdsburg , Sonoma County , California; the father opened a hardware store here on the corner of Healdsburg Avenue and Matheson Street. He died on December 3, 1889 in Healdsburg; the business was taken over by a brother or his sons.

William Mulligan initially worked in the timber trade. On July 30, 1868 he married in Healdsburg Margaret Alexander (born February 18, 1847 in Healdsburg, † December 30, 1931 in Selma, California), the eldest daughter of Cyrus Alexander (born 1805 in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, † December 27 1872 on the "Rancho Sotoyome"), one of the earliest settlers and farmers in Sonoma County, and his wife Rufina, née Lucero (* 1830, † 1908). After his father-in-law suffered a stroke, Mulligan took over the management of his property, the "Rancho Sotoyome" in Alexander Valley. The marriage had ten children, all of whom were born in Healdsburg. In 1870 Mulligan was appointed one of the directors of the Healdsburg Bank. In addition to other properties in the Alexander Valley, he acquired the "Geyser Flouring Mill", which went into operation in 1856, east of Healdsburg. When Cyrus Alexander's two youngest sons, George and Thomas, were able to take over the running of the ranch, Mulligan moved to his own estate near Selma, (founded 1893) southeast of Fresno, in the midst of vineyards. Here he died shortly before his 76th birthday. His widow, Margaret Mulligan, also died in Selma on December 30, 1931.

Artistic activity

In the biographical essays on William Mulligan on the Internet, reference is occasionally made to his artistic activity. However, only a few works are explicitly named:

The Death of General Lyon , with William Levin, 1863

Illustration: Anita L. Roberts, Savannah G. Roberts: Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. Civil War Collection. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, 2012, p. 12. Issued: Catalog of the Forty First Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 1864, No. 235. Death of General Lyon. Levin & Mulligan, St. Louis, Mo.

The Blind Fiddler , exhibited in the gallery under the Russ House, San Francisco, 1864
The Dying Drummer Boy , mentions: Marc Twain: A Promising Artist. In: The San Francisco Daily Morning Call, September 6, 1864.

Archival material

William Mulligan, Margaret Alexander's husband , photograph (around 1860): The Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, catalog number 561-3 ( https://healdsburg.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=portrait&page=91 )
Margaret Alexander Mulligan, 83 yrs old, Cyrus Alexanders oldest daughter, married William Mulligan . Photograph, February 8, 1930: Museum & Historical Society, Catalog Number 561-5.
The Mulligan Family , 1876, Photography: The Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, Catalog Number 561-2
John Mulligan Family , photography, undated: Daughter Laura Mulligan was wife of Andrew Price (not ID'd in photo; perhaps is woman on left in top row by comparing EI2013.22.001 with this photo). John Mulligan was mayor of Healdsburg . Catalog Number EI2013.22.002
Mulligan & Son Hardware Shop, Healdsburg (Ca), photography 1872: https://calisphere.org/ ›item

literature

Alley, Bowen & Co. (Ed.): History of Sonoma County (...). San Francisco 1880 ( http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sonoma/bios/mulligan350gbs.txt ).
William F. Heintz: Grapes and wine in California's Alexander Valley. A history, including various other aspects of the valley's history dating from 1846. WF Heintz, Glen Ellen, California 1979.
Katharina Bott: German artists in America. 1813-1913. American artists in Germany. 1813-1913. Publishing house and database for the humanities, Weimar 1996.
Hans Paffrath / Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf (Hrsg.): Lexicon of the Düsseldorf School of Painting. Volume 3. F. Bruckmann, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-7654-3011-0 , appendix, p. 449.
Sabine Morgen: The broadcast of the Düsseldorf School to America in the 19th century - Düsseldorf pictures in America and American painters in Düsseldorf (with artist and work catalogs on CD-ROM). Göttingen Contributions to Art History, Volume 2nd Edition Ruprecht, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7675-3059-1 : Mulligan, William, pp. 395, 396, 407, 417, 422, 713.

Individual evidence

↑ St. Louis City Directory 1851, p. 253, MUL-MUR: Mulligan John, copper, tin ware, stoves, & c., 5 s [outh] Main, dw 51
↑ Artists of the Düsseldorf School of Painting ( https://www.kunstpalast.de/ ›pdf› Knstlerliste-der-Dsseldorfer-Malerschule)
↑ Barbara S. Groseclose: Emanuel Leutze, 1816–1868. Freedom is The Only King. Smithonian Institution Press, City of Washington 1975, p. 24.
↑ around 1870: "Mulligan & Son"
↑ Jeanne Taylor (ed.): John MULLIGAN, an old and highly respected citizen of Healdsburg, died Tuesday morning at the age of 79 y. He leaves a large family to mourn his loss, among the sons being Deputy County Recorder [Arthur P.] MULLIGAN, of this city. In: The Sonoma Democrat. Santa Rosa, December 7, 1889.
^ Charles Alexander: The Life and Times of Cyrus Alexander. Dawson's Bookshop, Los Angeles 1967. ( http://www.ourhealdsburg.com/history/alexander.htm )
↑ WILLIAM MULLIGAN DIES AT HIS FRESNO HOME / William Mulligan, a pioneer citizen of Healdsbury, who sometime ago bought land in Fresno county, died at his Fresno home last week. His widow was Miss Margaret Alexander, daughter of the late Cyrus Alexander, of Alexander Valley, near Healdsbury. (...). In: Press Democrat, vol. XLI, No. 140, June 14, 1914:
↑ Mr. Mulligan was an artist of rare genius and skill, especially as a portrait painer. In his younger life he spent many years in the capitals and art centers of Europe, where, in addition in winning a high rank as an artist, he mastered several languages. In: Press Democrat, vol. XLI, No. 140, June 14, 1914.
↑ Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was the Union's first fallen general in the American Civil War . He died on August 10, 1861 after multiple wounds at the age of 43 in the Battle of Wilson's Creek .
^ Civil War, Sketches. This is a photograph of an 1863 original painting entitled “Death of Gen. Lyon. “It depicts Union General Nathaniel Lyon upon his death. His body is being attended to by his men. 1861-1863 Greene County. 5 "x7" copy print Photograph of a painting by William Levin & William Mulligan, distributed by Pettes & Leathe, St. Louis.
^ Marc Twain: A Promising Artist. In: The San Francisco Daily Morning Call, September 6, 1864 ( http://www.twainquotes.com/18640906.html ): The large oil painting in the picture store under the Russ House, of the "Blind Fiddler", is the work of a very promising California artist, Mr. William Mulligan, of Healdsburg, formerly of St. Louis, Mo. In the main, both the conception and execution are good, but the latter is faulty in some of the minor details. Dr. Bellows has a smaller picture, however, by the same artist, which betrays the presence of genius of a high order in the hand that limned it. The subject is a dying drummer boy, half sitting, half reclining, upon the battle field, with his body partly propped upon his broken drum, and his left arm hanging languidly over it. Near him lie his cap and his drum-sticks - unheeded, discarded, useless to him forever more. The dash of blood upon his shirt, the dreamy, away-at home look upon the features, the careless, resigned expression of the nerveless arm, tell the story. The colors in the picture are not gaudy enough to suit the popular taste, perhaps, but they represent nature truthfully, which is better. Mr. Mulligan has demonstrated in every work his hands have wrought, that he is an artist of more than common ability, and he de serves a generous encouragement. One or two of his pictures will probably be exhibited at the Mechanics' Fair now being held in this city.
↑ Back row: John C. and Arthur Mulligan, Front row: George V., Mercy Mariah Mulligan, Florence, John Mulligan, and Laura Mulligan Price. Grandparents are Mercy and John. One smaller Original (about 4 "x 5") and one larger copy (9.7 "x 7.8") (George V., John Mulligan, and Laura Price are all buried in Oakmound Cemetery)

personal data
SURNAME	Mulligan, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Mulligan, William M.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American painter, farmer and bank manager
DATE OF BIRTH	July 23, 1838
PLACE OF BIRTH	Glasgow , Howard County , Missouri , USA
DATE OF DEATH	June 23, 1914
Place of death	Selma , Fresno County , California , USA

[1] St. Louis City Directory 1851, p. 253, MUL-MUR: Mulligan John, copper, tin ware, stoves, & c., 5 s [outh] Main, dw 51

[2] Artists of the Düsseldorf School of Painting ( https://www.kunstpalast.de/ ›pdf› Knstlerliste-der-Dsseldorfer-Malerschule)

[3] Barbara S. Groseclose: Emanuel Leutze, 1816–1868. Freedom is The Only King. Smithonian Institution Press, City of Washington 1975, p. 24.

[4] round 1870: "Mulligan & Son"

[5] Jeanne Taylor (ed.): John MULLIGAN, an old and highly respected citizen of Healdsburg, died Tuesday morning at the age of 79 y. He leaves a large family to mourn his loss, among the sons being Deputy County Recorder [Arthur P.] MULLIGAN, of this city. In: The Sonoma Democrat. Santa Rosa, December 7, 1889.

[6] Charles Alexander: The Life and Times of Cyrus Alexander. Dawson's Bookshop, Los Angeles 1967. ( http://www.ourhealdsburg.com/history/alexander.htm )

[7] WILLIAM MULLIGAN DIES AT HIS FRESNO HOME / William Mulligan, a pioneer citizen of Healdsbury, who sometime ago bought land in Fresno county, died at his Fresno home last week. His widow was Miss Margaret Alexander, daughter of the late Cyrus Alexander, of Alexander Valley, near Healdsbury. (...). In: Press Democrat, vol. XLI, No. 140, June 14, 1914:

[8] Mr. Mulligan was an artist of rare genius and skill, especially as a portrait painer. In his younger life he spent many years in the capitals and art centers of Europe, where, in addition in winning a high rank as an artist, he mastered several languages. In: Press Democrat, vol. XLI, No. 140, June 14, 1914.

[9] Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was the Union's first fallen general in the American Civil War . He died on August 10, 1861 after multiple wounds at the age of 43 in the Battle of Wilson's Creek .

[10] Civil War, Sketches. This is a photograph of an 1863 original painting entitled “Death of Gen. Lyon. “It depicts Union General Nathaniel Lyon upon his death. His body is being attended to by his men. 1861-1863 Greene County. 5 "x7" copy print Photograph of a painting by William Levin & William Mulligan, distributed by Pettes & Leathe, St. Louis.

[11] Marc Twain: A Promising Artist. In: The San Francisco Daily Morning Call, September 6, 1864 ( http://www.twainquotes.com/18640906.html ): The large oil painting in the picture store under the Russ House, of the "Blind Fiddler", is the work of a very promising California artist, Mr. William Mulligan, of Healdsburg, formerly of St. Louis, Mo. In the main, both the conception and execution are good, but the latter is faulty in some of the minor details. Dr. Bellows has a smaller picture, however, by the same artist, which betrays the presence of genius of a high order in the hand that limned it. The subject is a dying drummer boy, half sitting, half reclining, upon the battle field, with his body partly propped upon his broken drum, and his left arm hanging languidly over it. Near him lie his cap and his drum-sticks - unheeded, discarded, useless to him forever more. The dash of blood upon his shirt, the dreamy, away-at home look upon the features, the careless, resigned expression of the nerveless arm, tell the story. The colors in the picture are not gaudy enough to suit the popular taste, perhaps, but they represent nature truthfully, which is better. Mr. Mulligan has demonstrated in every work his hands have wrought, that he is an artist of more than common ability, and he de serves a generous encouragement. One or two of his pictures will probably be exhibited at the Mechanics' Fair now being held in this city.

[12] Back row: John C. and Arthur Mulligan, Front row: George V., Mercy Mariah Mulligan, Florence, John Mulligan, and Laura Mulligan Price. Grandparents are Mercy and John. One smaller Original (about 4 "x 5") and one larger copy (9.7 "x 7.8") (George V., John Mulligan, and Laura Price are all buried in Oakmound Cemetery)