Multnomah-Clatsop County OR Archives Biographies.....McCue, John Curran November 17, 1876 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 19, 2010, 9:42 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 306 - 307 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company JOHN C. MC CUE has long held a foremost place among the members of the legal profession in Portland and during the past twenty years has been identified as counsel with many important cases in the courts of Multnomah county, in which he has been uniformly successful. Mr. McCue was born in New York city, November 17, 1876, and is a son of John and Margaret (Coffey) McCue, the latter born in Traler, Ireland. John McCue was a native of Galway, Ireland, and in young manhood enlisted in the British navy. He sailed around the world on the "Oregon Frigate," a ship of the line, and saw much active and dangerous service. He was in India during the mutiny, took part in the Crimean war, and fought against the natives on the west coast of Africa, where punitive action was taken to avenge the killing of English and American traders. There a severe engagement took place, in which he showed such bravery that he was decorated with a bronze medal by the British government. He came to the United States in 1859, locating in New York city, and during the Civil war enlisted in the United States Navy, in which also he saw much active service. He was on the "Wauchusetts," under Admiral Goldsboro, during the historic fight between the "Monitor" and the "Merrimac," and later did blockade duty at Newport News. He reenlisted and was made a quartermaster, serving on the James river in cooperation with the Army of the Potomac. He rendered loyal and efficient service to his adopted country and was twice wounded. In 1882 he came to the Pacific coast, the journey by way of the Central Pacific road, requiring ten days' time. He landed at Oakland, from which point he came up the coast on the old steamship "Oregon," and disembarked at the only dock left in Astoria after the great fire. He there established a stevedoring business, in which he met with success, and he took an active part in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic. Later in life he retired and his death occurred in Portland in June, 1905. John C. McCue attended the public schools of Astoria, to which city he had gone with his parents when six years old, and in 1893 he was a member of the first high school graduating class, of three members. He then entered the Oregon State Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, that being the last degree conferred by Christian College, as the institution was known up to that time. Mr. McCue was the possessor of a teacher's life certificate before he was twenty-one years old. He served for six years as principal of the Astoria schools, and during that period also took up the study of law. While teaching, and before he had attained his majority, he did active campaigning for William McKinley. He was appointed to a position in the United States customs service, which he held for four years, and during that period, in 1905, was admitted to the bar. In 1907 he was elected to the state legislature, and was reelected in 1909, serving two terms. In 1907 he engaged in the practice of law in Astoria, where he had previously studied under Charles W. Fulton, at that time United States senator, and in 1909 he came to Portland, where he entered into a law partnership with Senator Gus Moser. This association was continued for nine years, when the partnership was dissolved and Mr. McCue has since practiced alone, having his office in the Yeon building. Careful and painstaking in the preparation of his cases, and an earnest and resourceful trial lawyer, he has been loyal to the interests of his clients, to whom he has always given his best service, and he has commanded a large practice and a reputation for dependability under all circumstances. On May 5, 1909, in Astoria, Oregon, Mr. McCue was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn G. Shively, who was born in San Francisco, California, May 15, 1875, and is a daughter of Charles W. and Anna (Dielschneider) Shively. Her grandfather, John M. Shively, was one of the original founders of Astoria and was the first postmaster on United States territory west of the Rocky mountains. Charles W. Shively served for many years as county superintendent of schools at Astoria. The Shivelys originally settled in Virginia, from which state members of the family migrated to Kentucky, and among Mrs. McCue's ancestral relations were General George Meade, of Civil war fame, and General Albert Sydney Johnston, one of the military leaders of the Southern Confederacy. Senator Shively, of Indiana, is also a member of the same family. Mrs. McCue graduated from the University of California and taught in the public schools of Astoria and Portland prior to her marriage. In his political views, Mr. McCue has always been a republican and in his earlier years did much public speaking and campaigning for the party. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, being a past exalted ruler of the lodge at Astoria. He is a member of the Multnomah County Bar Association, of which he is a chancellor, the Oregon State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He served as a member of the legal advisory board during the World war and during the Spanish-American war took a prominent part in the organization of the Naval Reserve at Astoria. True and loyal in every relation of life, of unimpeachable integrity and standing consistently for those things which make for the betterment of community life, he commands to a marked degree the confidence and respect of his fellowmen and by his life and services has honored the profession to which he belongs. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/mccue1065gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb