Biographical Sketch of Maj. Robert J. McElhany, Greene County, Missouri,
Springfield

>From "History of Greene County, Missouri," St. Louis: Western
Historical Company, 1883.

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This gentleman was born in Grainger county, Tenn., about the year 1815,
the family records being lost upon his father's death, when young Rob-
ert was seven years of age.  Being thrown upon his own resources when a
mere child, he faced the world and fought through all obstacles, and 
came out victorious.  He would carry his book in his hat, and read at
noon and other odd times, while his horse was resting during the day, 
and took advantage of every spare hour he had to improve himself intel-
lectually.  He came to Missouri in 1835, penniless, in company with a
blacksmith.  He helped the blacksmith burn a coal pit, and then secured
a position on the U. S. survey at forty-five dollars per month, for 
three months.  He soon returned to Springfield and accepted a position
as clerk in a store, where he worked for one year.  Then three friends
advanced him one hundred dollars each, and with that sum he bought a
stock of groceries, and opened out in the business here, which he foll-
owed three or four years, and next engaged in the dry goods business, 
which he followed until 1865.  He then sold out, engaged in banking,
organizing the first national bank of Springfield in 1870, and has been
its president to the present.  He was postmaster of Springfield, under
Polk's administratioin, and had been a major of militia in 1840. During
the late civil war he was captain of Co. A, 46th infantry; the company
was called out late and saw no active service.  He was one of the prime
movers in the wagon factory enterprise of Springfield, which is one of
the noted industries of the place.  Major McElhany was married November
9, 1838, to Miss Cordelia M., daughter of John and Margaret Bunch, of
Polk county, Missouri.  Mrs. McElhany is a native of Grainger county,
Tenn., and is a neice of Gen. Clement C. Clay, one of Alabama's sena-
tors, who resigned his seat at the commencement of the late war.  They
have three children living, viz.: Margaret M., wife of Hon. S. H. Boyd,
Robert L., and Lucy, wife of the late Col. L. A. Campbell, of Mississ-
ippi.  Major McElhany is a Royal Arch Mason, and has been a member of
the Methodist church for thirty-four years.  He is one of Greene's most
substantial citizens, and upright in all dealings with his fellow man.

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