Lucas County IA Archives Biographies.....McMains, James 1820 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 29, 2011, 6:01 am

Source: See below
Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896)

JAMES McMAINS, Derby, Iowa, is a well-known early settler and wealthy and
influential farmer of Lucas county, Iowa. He first came to Iowa long before it
was a State, traveled throughout various portions of the far West, and after a
sojourn on the Pacific coast returned to Iowa, and finally, in the spring of
1855, located in Union township, Lucas county, with which place he has since
been identified. Without more than a passing mention of his life this work would
be incomplete, and we here take pleasure in presenting the following facts
relating to him.

   James McMains was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, the State noted for
brave men, pretty women, fine horses and blue-grass, the date of his birth being
April 11, 1820. Andrew McMains, his father, was born in Greenbrier county,
Virginia, son of Robert McMains, a native of Pennsylvania, his ancestors being
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who settled in this country during its early history
and who figured prominently both in times of peace and war. Andrew McMains
married Miss Sarah Hadden, who was of Kentucky birth and Scotch blood, her
parents having moved out to Kentucky from Pennsylvania. She died in Lawrence
county, Indiana, leaving six children: Robert, William, Abram, Steele, John and
James. James is now the only survivor of the family. In 1822, after his mother's
death, his father moved with the children up into Putnam county, Indiana,
locating south of Greencastle, where he passed the remainder of his life and
where he died, at the age of seventy-eight years. His whole life, was devoted to
agricultural pursuits, and he was in politics a Democrat and in religion a
member of the Christian Church.

   We come now to the immediate subject of our sketch, James McMains. He was
only two years old at the time the family removed to Indiana, and on a frontier
farm in the "Hoosier" State his boyhood days were spent. He was educated in one
of the primitive log school-houses which have so often been described in
connection with the pioneer history of Ohio and Indiana. In 1837, in company
with his brother John, and with one horse for both of them to ride, he came west
to the Territory of Iowa, landing here nine years before Iowa was a State. On
this memorable trip the brothers took turns in riding the horse and had many
amusing experiences before reaching their destination. Arrived here, they
selected Lee county as a desirable location, and in this county spent four
years. During that time they met Black Hawk, Keokuk and other prominent Indian
chiefs. In 1841 our subject moved to Jefferson county, where he spent the
following ten years. In 1851 we find him among the throng that went overland to
California, the long and tedious trip across the plains being made with an ox
team and wagon and six months being consumed in making the trip. After a sojourn
of two years and a half in the mining districts of Oregon and California, he
returned by way of the isthmus of Panama to Jefferson county, Iowa. In the
spring of 1855 he came to Union township, Lucas county, and purchased 200 acres
of land on section 30, and here he has since lived and prospered, by subsequent
purchase having acquired other lands until he is now the owner of 420 acres, one
of the most valuable farms in the county. The improvements on this place are all
of the first class, and the land is adapted for both stock and grain. For years
Mr. McMains made a specialty of the stock business, in which he was very
successful, and he is regarded as an excellent judge of stock.

   Mr. McMains was married in 1844, in Jefferson county, Iowa, to Miss Catherine
Sears, a native of Monroe county, Indiana, and a daughter of David and Catherine
(Crumb) Sears, her father a native of North Carolina. The Sears family are of
German origin. To Mr. and Mrs. McMains were born three children, two of whom are
living,—Malissa A., wife of David Wertfall, of this township; and D. A., a
well-known citizen of Derby, who married Lydia Oehlmann. Both received a good
education and were for some time engaged in teaching. The name of their daughter
that died was Manerva. The great loss which came to the life of Mr. McMains was
in the death of his most estimable wife, which sad event occurred January 14,
1884, after they had traveled life's pathway together for over forty years. Mrs.
McMains was a woman in praise of whom too much cannot be said. Her noble
Christian life was an inspiration to all who knew her.

   Mr. McMains has long co-operated with the Democratic party. Of a bright and
hopeful disposition and genial and social nature, he has many friends in the
community in which he has so long resided.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1896


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