| Notes |
- Mrs. C. L. Vestal
1014 Courtland Ave.
Park Ridge, Illinois
Dear Mrs. Vestal
In reply to your letter of Jan. 24, 1945 - I, the great-great-granddaughter of James McClure , will tell you what I learned about him from the family Bible, a book "History of Central Oregon" and from my father.
James McClure participated in the War of 1812, his captain being James Bennett, and he drew a pension until his death, which occurred at the home of his son, William Carroll, on Dec . 31, 1878, he being aged 82yrs., 3 mon., 16 days. (Hist. of Cent. Oreg.)
This place where my father, James McClure's great grandson, now lives is the old homestead where his great-grandfather James, his grandfather and grandmother McClure, his father and his mother, his Uncle Thomas J. McClure all lived and died. Six generations have lived in this house and it is still livable but unoccupied at the present.
James McClure lived about 3 1/2 miles east of Mosier, Oregon with his son, William Carroll McClure. While chopping wood a chip flew in his eye and he was blind the last couple of years of his life. While sitting by the fire place a spark caught his clothing on fire and it caused his death from shock. He is buried high on a hill on the place joining this one. There is no tombstone. We do not own the land where he is buried.
You asked if we'd heard the story that William Mc, the Revolutionary ancestor had a daughter who was captured by the Indians. I asked my father about it and he told me he'd heard the following story many times.
James McClure's parents were butchering and they sent the oldest son, himself, for salt to cure the meat. While he was gone the Indians attacked their home, killing his father and mother and beating out his younger brother's brain on a stump. His two sisters were captured and taken away by the Indians. They traveled all day and when night fell they camped, staking the horses near the camp. The girls were tied but they wriggled themselves loose during the night. They attempted to take one of the horses but they snorted and awoke the Indians. The Indians came so close to them as they tried to find them that they could have reached out their hand and touched them. When they came to a stream they turned up their skirts and put rocks in them so they could keep their feet as they waded across.
This letter was written by Mrs. Wm. McClure of The Dalles, Oregon, in response to a letter written by Mrs. Vestal for her aged friend, Mrs. C. S. Throckmorton formerly Caroline Susan (known as Aunt Cad)McClure of 1101 Pearl Ave., Park Ridge, Illinois.
A note to the letter was added by Mrs. Throckmorton saying that Wm. C. McClure of the Dalles , Ore. was a son of James McClure and a brother of Thomas J. McClure of McClure, Ill. Alexander County. James McClure, the father emigrated from Kentucky and Virginia to Boon, Mo.with the 7 sons and families and went into the business of a tanner there until they all started to California in the gold rush and that's the way that William Carrol McClure located at the Dalles,Oregon. Matthew McClure that was a brother of James located in the hills back of McClure, Ill. and he was the uncle of Thomas J. McClure who afterward located where the town of McClure now is built.
James McClure b. Sept. 15, 1800* d. Dec. 31, 1878 m. Elizabeth Farris May 1, 1816. Children:
1. William Carroll McClure b. Aug. 25, 1817 d. May 21, 1895; m. Amelia Hunt Sullivan May 26 , 1841.
2. John B. McClure b. Sept. 4, 1820 m. Martha Goodhew (???) 1841
3. Elmira McClure b. Oct. 1, 1822 m. Benjamin Keith March 14, 1841
4. Thomas J. McClure b. Nov. 8, 1824.
5. Linsey B. McClure b. Feb. 17, 1826 m. Sarah Jane Davidson Feb. 24,1855
6. James S. McClure b. Jan. 25, 1829
7. Elizabeth J. McClure b. Feb. 6, 1830
8. Alice McClure b. March 15, 1832
9. Chas. McClure b. Feb. 20, 1835
Born to William C. and Amelia McClure:
Mary C. McClure b. July 25, 1845
Thomas J. McClure b. Nov. 20, 1846 d. Nov. 1929
William T. McClure b. April 18, 1850 d. Mar. 18, 1915
Amanda A. McClure b. May 25, 1855 d. June 21, 1937
Wm. T. McClure married Josephine Marsh, May 7, 1878, who died Sept.28, 1880. He married Emma Blakeney June 22, 1882.
Born to William T. and Emma McClure:
Josephine J. McClure William T. McClure
Jessie A. McClure Mary McClure
Amelia N. McClure Pearl McClure
Amanda A. McClure married Andrew J. Marsh, Nov. 5, 1878. Born to Amanda and Andrew Marsh.
William Marsh b. March 13, 1884. (I'm his daughter)
This is the data as near as I can figure it out from the records. I hope it is what you were looking for.
BESSIE A.MARSH
Note by Mrs. Throckmorton: Bessie was the granddaughter of Wm. T.McClure, grandson of Jame s McClure who moved to Rt 4 from Kentucky to Boon, Mo. and then went to California in the gold rush and then with Wm. Carroll McClure went to Oregon and settled there.
Rt 4 - TheDalles, Oreg.
July 24, 1945
Dear Mrs. Vestal:
Please excuse my delay in answering your letter but I have been hospitalized and doctoring hence the delay. In the first letter I told you practically everything I know or could find out . Since that time I have questioned Mrs. Emma McClure but she knew nothing that I hadn't already written. However, she told me that a cousin of my father's had been interested in the family history and has gathered as much data as she can. May I suggest that you contact her? You may get much more information from her than we have been able to give you. Her name is
Mrs. Hilda Williams
P. O. Box 246
La Grande, Oregon
The only additional information I have is that James McClure spoke (my father says) of St. Join Missouri and he thinks he lived there at one time.
I don't know where the "Carroll" part of William Carroll McClure's name came from. I believe the Bible originally belonged to John McClure as his name is in the front of it. The name and date of James McClure's birth are quite distinct. It is written like this:
James McClure was Born Sept. 15(???)1800
Under Marriage it says clearly James McClure and Elizabeth Farris
were Married May 1, (???) 1816
The first page of the Bible says:
The
Holy Bible
Containing the
Old and New Testaments;
Translated out of
The Original Tongues,
and with
The Former translations Diligently compared
and Revised
New York:
American Bible Society
Instituted in the year 1816
(Small Pica 8 Vo.) 1846
The second page says 10th edition.
Now about Thomas James McClure. It is not clear in which month he was born but it clearly shows 1824. It looks thusly: Thomas J. McClure was born Sep (that's rather blurred over) No 8 (? ??) 1824. Now whether that is Sept. or Nov. I don't know. The handwriting of those days was not like ours of today. However the child before him was born Oct 1, 1822 and if his birthday was Sept. 8, 1823--well, I guess that's how they did it in those days.
To go back to James McClure - where his death is recorded in another Bible it states he died Dec. 31, 1878 at the age of 82 yrs. 3 mo. 16 da. Wouldn't this establish the 1796 date as probably correct?
I hope I'm not just confusing you as well as myself. This is about all I can do to help you . Hope Mrs. Williams has more data on the subject.
Sincerely yours,
BESSIE A. MARSH
(Mrs. Wm. McClure)
P.S. I wish to thank you for sending me my ancestry. I guess that's the only, or as near as I 'll ever have a family tree. I've worked up quite an interest in this myself through your letters and exchange of information. Thank you again.
Ruth and Frank McClure of Bruceville, Indiana found the following data in the cemetery in McClure, Ill.:
Thomas J. McClure B. Sept. 1, 1823 d. Aug. 23, 1882
Caroline V. (wife) b. April 29, 1833 d. Aug. 14, 1918
J. T. McClure (son) b. Nov. 8, 1863 d. July 14, 1946
Marie H. (wife of J. T.) b. Mar. 13, d. June 28, 1925
They also found that J. T. and Marie had a daughter, Virginia who married a Omerhunter. Her daughter, Virginia married a Ford and they lived in Kennett, Mo.
J. T. McClure's sister, Caroline Susan, married a Dr. C. S. Throckmorton. After living 40 years in St. Louis they went to livewith their daughter, Naomi, Mrs. Walter Rohe, at Park Ridge ,Illinois. The Rohe's have 2 sons. Mrs. Throckmorton is now 91 and is commonly called Aunt Cad.
From Crawford, Clark County, Illinois, History
------------
Elizabeth Farris McClure, Jame's wife, is supposed to have passed away
around 1835, after Charles Wesley McClure was born. Supposedly, Jame's
married again and had 4 more children. There are names of 4 people in the
bible that are not identified as children of James, nor a wife's name.
Names;
1. Andrew J.
2. Liza A
3. Isabell
4. Mary T.
James & Lorina immigrated to Oregon in 1852
Box Jane TO Box Casewell ON June 2, 1850
Boyd Lucretia TO Thompson John D. ON November 28,1839
Boyd Sarah Ann TO Winton John D. ON November 12,1840
Boyd Rebecca Jane TO Ayres Mahlon B. ON October 21,1841
Boyd Lorina S. TO McClure James H. ON November 10,1846
Boyd Mrs. TO Abbot John ON August 12, 1847
Bradley Elizabeth TO RossMitchell ON February 10, 1848
Bradley Hannah TO Richey A.C. ON December 6, 1849
McClure Elmyria TO Looney William ON July 23, 1838
McClure Louisa TO Arington Marcus D. ON July 15, 1842
McClure Elizabeth C. TO Tucker James J. ON November 2,1842
Polk Co., Missouri marriages
|
RNT Family History
1796 - 1878 (82 years)