William Thomas McGowen, born on July 7, 1880 in Texas Co., Missouri, the son of Moses Allen and Mary Jane (Fox) McGowen. He married to Lula Mabel Linthcomb, born in Douglas Co., Missouri, on Oct. 23, 1889, the daughter of Charles Washington and Sentitha (Douglas) Linthcomb. Their wedding occurred on Feb. 26, 1906. William moved his family down to Arkansas, near Snowball in Searcy County.

This following story was received from our cousin Dennis Prock of Mountain Grove, Missouri. [The story involves Orval Henry McGowen (1907-1976), his father Robert Henry McGowen (1879-1956) and his Uncle Albert Daniel Hutcheson (1881-1962), husband of his Aunt Lula Jane (McGowen) Hutcheson (1886-1976), and a trip they made to visit his Uncle William at Snowball.]

"Orval told me a story about himself, Robert and Robert's brother-in-law, Albert Hutcheson. They all went down to Snowball, Arkansas to see William McGowen, Robert's brother. It was the late 1940's when they drove down, trying to get to Will's place before nightfall. While on the road a young woman was on the other side of the road and disappear between some big bowler-of-rocks. Orval stopped the car because he noticed a small boy about 13 years old jumping over rocks and through thick bushes and finally ran across the road in front of Orval's car. Being curious, Orval asked the lad what was going on. The young boy said, 'Have you seen my Ma? She thinks she's going to wean me, but she's not!' The laughter burst out. They drove on to their destination. They drove until they ran out of road, and it was already dark. There was only a trail leading to Will's cabin on the hill. In those days people would holler up the hill so they knew they were having company. So, Albert Hutcheson did the hollering. Orval told me that it was the longest climb he had ever done. When they arrived they were breathless. Uncle Will met them with a lantern. They talked for many hours by the coal oil lamp, until everyone decided to retire for the night. During the night, the visitors heard chickens and the hogs under the house. The chickens were roosted on wooden boards across the poles and the hogs grunted and rubbed themselves against the foundation poles. And the hogs would group together as they slept, and one would push causing the one on the lower end to roll down the hill. This commotion went on all night. When morning came, everyone looked tired due to lack of rest. Will told his wife, Lou, to ring some of those chicken's necks for breakfast. She killed three or four big roasters and the platter was so full, pieces would roll off onto the table. They feasted all day on chicken, gravy and biscuits. They talked until that late evening and decided to retire for the night. They got bedded down, and suddenly they heard the same noises of the night before. Orval, Robert and Albert thought it might be chicken again tomorrow morning for breakfast, but to their surprise, Lou killed a hog and they had pork chops all next day. The next day they traveled back to Mountain Grove and decided to stop at an old Country Store on a hill to get a drink and pipe tobacco. When they stepped outside on the store's front porch, they noticed the car was gone. They looked down the road and saw the car about a quarter of a mile down the road in a ditch. Orval had forgotten to set the emergency brake. They finally got home and got a good nights sleep." Lou played the fiddle and Will would do the calling for square dances held in the community, usually in someone's home.

From Kathryn (Ross) Crunkleton, grandaughter of Will and Lou McGowen:

"When I was a small child, we would drive to the base of this mountain and then walk to Will & Lou McGowen's place on top. Later they moved down to another small farm, about three miles from the base of the mountain, which was remote (even now). The Mountain Farm was sold in the early 1970's to a group of hippies, who still own it."

McGowan Family History