Biographical Sketch of Hon. J. W. McClurg, Laclede County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Hon. J. W. McClurg, ex-governor of the State of Missouri, is a native
of  St. Louis County, Mo., born February 22, 1818, and is the son of 
Joseph and Mary (Brotherton) McClurg, and grandson of Joseph McClurg,
who came to America during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.  He came over
concealed in the bottom of the vessel, and his family followed shortly
afterward.  He located in Pittsburg, built the first iron foundry in
that city, and here and near Pittsburg passed the remainder of his 
life.  He had a farm near the city, and ran a foundry there for many
years.  His sons continued the business after he had retired.  The 
father of ex-Gov. McClurg was born in Northern Ireland, and came to 
America when about twelve years of age.  He was also a foundryman, as 
were his brothers, Alexander and William, and they carried on the busi-
ness there for a number of years.  He died in Ohio while yet engaged in
the iron business.  The mother died in St. Louis. They were the parents
of but two children: James B. (deceased) and J. W. McClurg.  The last
named was reared in Pennsylvania, whither he had been taken at the age
of seven years, but received the principal part of his education in 
Ohio, where he remained until about nineteen years of age.  He then
returned to Missouri and made his home with his uncles, James and 
Marshall Brotherton, both of whom filled the office of sheriff of St.
Louis county.  J. W. served as deputy sheriff under both of them for 
about two years.  In the spring of 1839 he went to Texas, and remained
there for some two years, and was admitted to the practice of law at
Columbus, Texas.  In 1841 he married, in Washington county, Mo., Miss
Mary C. Johnson, a native of Virginia, and this union resulted in the
birth of eight children, six now living: Mary E., wife of Col. M. W.
Johnson, now at Lebanon; Fannie, wife of C. C. Draper, also at Lebanon;
Joseph E., in Dakota, engaged in farming; Sarah, wife of Thomas Monroe,
resides in Lebanon; Dr. James A., dentist, at Lebanon; and Dr. Marshall
J., also a dentist, at Carthage, Mo.  After marriage Mr. McClurg turned
his attention to merchandising, which he carried on at Hazelwood and
Linn Creek, Mo., until the breaking out of the late war, when he was at
Linn Creek.  In 1861 he enlisted in the Home Guards; was chosen colonel 
of his regiment, and in 1862 he became colonel of the Eighth Cavalry,
Missouri State Militia.  He was in this service until after his elec-
tion to Congress, which was in 1862, from the Fifth district.  He then 
resigned his position in the army to take his seat, and was re-elected
in 1864 and 1866.  Before the expiration of his last term of office he
was elected by the Republican party as governor of the State of Miss-
ouri, in 1868, and served one term of two years.  He then turned his
attention to merchandising, lead mining and steamboating, which he
carried on until 1885, at which date he came to Laclede county, and has
since been retired from business.  He is now in his seventieth year,
but still quite well preserved.  He has been a very prominent man of 
the State of Missouri, and has been a strong adherent of the Republican
party.  He is a member of the G. A. R., and he and Mrs. McClurg were
members of the Presbyterian Church.  Mrs. McClurg departed this life in
December, 1861, at Jefferson City.  He remained single.  He is now a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  They were the grandparents
of twenty-six children, twenty-four now living.  Their son, James A.,
studied dentistry at St. Louis and has since been practicing at Lebanon
and Marshfield seven or eight years.  He was married to Miss Mattie 
Williams in 1877, and is the father of four children.  He is a promis-
ing young man, and has built up a good practice.  Their son Marshall J.
studied dentistry in Philadelphia, Penn., and has now a good practice.
He married Miss Effie DeVore, of Carthage. 

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