Warren-Marion County IA Archives Biographies.....McNair, R. C. 1830 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 12, 2007, 11:30 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896) R. C. McNAIR, who is now living retired in the pretty city of Milo, Warren county, Iowa, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, June 14, 1830. His father, Andrew McNair, was a native of the same State, and throughout life followed the occupation of farming. He married Catherine Clister, and to them were born six sons and six daughters, nine of whom are yet living, R. C. being the eldest. The others are Nancy Ann, wife of R. R. McNair, a retired farmer now living in Milo; Peter, who is engaged in farming in Clark county, Iowa; Eleanor, wife of Samuel McNair, of Somerset county, Pennsylvania; Andrew, who is engaged in farming in Fayette county, Pennsylvania; Sarah, wife of Nathaniel Silbaugh, of Fayette county; Daniel, of the same county; Lavina, widow of H. H. Hall, and a resident of southeastern Kansas: Charlotte, wife of Jackson Close, an agriculturist of Fayette county; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Levi Show, of Norfolk, Nebraska; Samuel and Catherine, both of whom died in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Since 1885 the mother of this family has made her home in Milo. The subject of this review left the Keystone State on the 14th of April, 1855, for Winnebago county, Illinois, where during the succeeding five years he was mostly engaged in farm labor. He then emigrated to Putnam county, Missouri, where he purchased forty acres of land. Three years later he came to Iowa, and in Dallas township, Marion county, farmed the Miller place. In the spring of 1865 he arrived in Warren county, and purchasing forty acres of land in Belmont township, on which stood a small frame house, yet unplastered, he began life in earnest. He purchased sixty acres on section 35, to which he afterward added forty-five acres; later bought 120 acres on section 36. subsequently 123 acres on section 1, White Breast township; eighty acres on section 25, Belmont township; eighty acres in Liberty township; and to this added 120 acres on sections 14 and 15, Belmont township. In the fall of 1892 he came to Milo and purchased the homestead of Charles Hill on Second street, then comprising an acre and a half of ground. He has since purchased seven acres adjoining on the north and now has-one of the valuable properties of the city. His various purchases indicate his success. He is a wide-awake, energetic and enterprising business man, and his well directed efforts have made him a substantial citizen. On the 26th of October, 1851, Mr. McNair wedded Miss Clara J. McNair, a native of Preston county, West Virginia, and a daughter of Alexander and Catherine (Syfolt) McNair. Ten children have been born of this marriage: John R., who was born April 14, 1853, and follows farming in Belmont township, Warren county; Cordelia C, who was born November 7, 1855, and died January 12, 1862; George and Ellis, twins, born April 6, 1858, both following farming in White Breast township, Warren county; Osbin, who was born April 12, 1860, and is an agriculturist of Liberty township, Warren county; Martha J., who was born January 1, 1863, and is the wife of Harrison K. Fortney, a farmer of Clark county, Iowa; William Franklin, who was born April 22, 1865, and is living in Belmont township, Warren county; Charles, who was born December 25, 1867, and is operating land on section 15, Belmont township; Manuel and Marion, twins, born April 3, 1870, now farming on section 35, Belmont township. Mr. McNair cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan and is a stalwart advocate of the principles of Democracy, but with him politics have always been subordinate to business interests. He is truly a self-made man, for he started out in life without a dollar and by hard labor, good management and tireless energy has acquired a fortune that now enables him to lay aside business cares and enjoy the fruits of his former toil. Though he has passed sixty-five milestones on life's journey he is still a vigorous and energetic man. In all his labors he has had the assistance and encouragement of his estimable wife, who has shared with him in the joys and sorrows, the adversity and prosperity, which checker the life of man. They are both members of Rosemont Catholic Church in Belmont township, and contribute liberally to its support and to all other interests that are calculated to advance the general welfare. As the record of one of the most valued and honored citizens of Warren county we present this sketch to our readers, knowing that it will prove of interest to many, for he has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA ILLUSTRATED "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants."'—MACAULAY. "Biography is by nature the must universally profitable, universally pleasant, of all things."—CARLYLE "History is only biography on a large scale"—LAMARTINE. CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1896 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/warren/bios/mcnair153gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb