Alexander McGowan

Alexander McGowan was born in Duplin County, North Carolina on July 5, 1817.

He moved to Houston in September 1839, opening a tin shop shortly after arriving.

[1] McGowan graduated from tinner to hardware manufacturer, and eventually established a foundry in Houston.

[1] McGowan's foundry manufactured the boiler tubes for the first electrical power plant in Houston.

[2] In 1845, McGowan was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention for prepare for the annexation of Texas to the United States.