Biography of Andrew McIlroy, Randolph Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bridgette Cohen Date: 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company Andrew McIlroy is one of the oldest and most prominent residents of the county, and during his entire life, which has been spent in this county, naught but good has been said of him, for he has been honest, industrious, and has kept himself thoroughly apace with the times. His birth occurred on the 10th of September, 1821, and he is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (McLain) McIlroy, a short sketch of whom is given in the biography of Hon. Hammet McIlroy. Andrew McIlroy attended the common country schools in his youth, where he acquired a fair knowledge of the English branches, and up to mature years his knowledge of the world was only such as could be learned on the home farm. At the age of twenty he commenced driving stock, and the following year he took charge of the stage line from Fredericktown, Mo., south to Reeves' Station, same State. Two years later he bought forty acres of land and commenced farming, and since that time has added thereto, until he now has 970 acres, all of which is the result of his own good business ability and shrewd management. He has made it a point through life never to go in debt, and he can now look back over a useful and well-spent life. His wife was formerly a Miss Sarah A. Davies, whom he married in 1844. She was born in Virginia, March 3, 1823, and has borne a family of ten children, of whom Margaret E. (Williams), Mary Susan (Lewis), James F., Dan W., Amanda C., Martha Josephine and Sarah A. are living. John A. died when thirteen years of age, and the others in infancy. Mrs. McIlroy is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. McIlroy is a Mason, a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and a Democrat. Previous to the war he was postmaster at Lima seven years, and it was chiefly through his efforts that the postoffice at that point was established.