The genesis of the James A. Howrigan history had its origin inHenryville, Province of Quebec, Canada. James A. was born in 1843, the thirdchild of Patrick and Catherine (McCarthy) Howrigan. They moved to Fairfield,Vermont in 1849, having purchased the "homestead farm" from T. Fitzgerald forapproximately $2500. The deed being filed on February 13, 1349.Patrick and Catherine's family consisted of daughter Margaret, theirtwo sons James and Thomas and infant daughter Catherine age 3 months. Theywere accompanied by the elderly Patrick, the patriarch of the family, who livedwith them until his death in Fairfield, Vermont in 1852, at the advanced ageof 87 years. William and Mary (McA.uliffe) Howrigan, another son of the elderlyPatrick, also purchased a farm in 1849 in Fairfield, Vermont from John Myers.At the time of James's birth in 1843, Canada was recovering from thePapineau Rebellion, Upper and Lower Canada were united. In the United Statesthere was a mass westward migration from Vermont, later to be called the"Yankee Exodus". John Tyler was President, who succeeded William Henry Harrison,who died a month after his inauguration. The Whig Party was in power and Tylerwas embroiled in verbal combatcs with Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. A treatyhad just been signed with Canada settling the Northeast boundry of the UnitedStates.The following is a historical chronology and timetable of Americanand World events from 1835-1975.’ This is not a family history.I have tried to fit the JAMES AND MARY COLLINS HOWRIGAN FAMILY HISTORYinto a kaleidoscopic view pertaining to American and World events.Choice of events is purely selective on my part ranging from earthshakingevents to mere trivia.The family history in retrospect, is very aptly set forth in theinscription of our Maternal Great-Grandparents, Roger and Margaret Jane Collins,on their headstone in the cemetery of St. John the Baptist in Enosburg Falls,Vermont.