# The McWenie Family ## Origins in Europe The McWenie surname is of Irish or possibly Scottish origin, with roots likely tied to the Gaelic traditions of Ulster or the western highlands. The earliest known ancestor in this family line is Joseph McWenie, born in Ireland in 1822. Like many Irishmen of his generation, Joseph likely left Ireland around the time of the Great Famine (1845–1852), seeking economic survival and opportunity in the United States. By 1850, he had settled in New York, a common landing point for Irish immigrants. His son, James McWenie, born in New York in 1852, would become a key transitional figure in the family’s American story, bridging the Eastern manufacturing hubs with the frontier towns of the American West. ## Emigration to America Though Joseph McWenie was part of the Irish diaspora to New York, his descendants pushed west. James McWenie built a state-wide cigar manufacturing business in Las Vegas, New Mexico, becoming the town’s first cigar manufacturer. His entrepreneurial spirit and frequent travel between New York and the West exemplify the spirit of the American Gilded Age—marked by migration, invention, and risk-taking. Eventually, James returned to New York, weary of frontier life, but his son Edward remained in the Southwest and would become a civic leader, banker, businessman, and city official in Las Vegas, New Mexico. ## Life on the American Frontier Edward John McWenie Sr. was born in 1881 in New York. After being orphaned at age five, he was sent west to live with his aunt, Maggie Holland, in Las Vegas, NM. Edward thrived in the developing frontier town, receiving his education in the earliest public schools of East Las Vegas and later at New Mexico Normal University (now Highlands University), graduating in 1901. Edward’s life tells the story of a man who embraced every stage of frontier growth. He was a banker at First National Bank, later a salesman for Pet Milk Co., a flour mill operator, a member of the National Guard, and city clerk under three mayors. He helped lay the foundation of civic and commercial life in Las Vegas. He remembered the wild days of outlaws, vigilante “Whitecaps,” and gunfights on Bridge Street. He also helped fundraise for rodeo prize money and participated in city parades. His wife, Muriel Hill, died in 1948. Edward remained deeply connected to Las Vegas, despite spending time in Arizona and California. Known affectionately as “Mr. Mac,” he lived out his final years at the Elks Club and remained an enthusiastic booster of the town’s climate, culture, and sports. ## Key Individuals and Stories * James McWenie (1852–1900)** - son of an Irish immigrant, cigar manufacturer * **Edward John McWenie Sr. (1881–1967) -** Edward lived a full life in Las Vegas, serving as banker, businessman, civic leader, and storyteller. * **Muriel Hill McWenie (d. 1948) -** Muriel married Edward in 1910 * **Edward John McWenie Jr. (1911–1979) -** Born in Las Vegas, NM, supervising foreman for the Mountain States Telephone Company ## Family Tree and Photos - Las Vegas cigar factory site (Masonic building today) - Edward McWenie Sr. at Highlands University or in Elks Lodge regalia - Photo of Edward and Muriel McWenie at their home on Seventh Street - Pet Milk Co. promotional material or delivery map - Bridge Street, Las Vegas, in early 1900s - Map showing migration: Ireland → New York → Las Vegas, NM → Phoenix, AZ