BIO: John R. McCLURE, Clearfield County, PA
 
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/

NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm
_____________________________________________________________

From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 677 & 678.
_____________________________________________________________ 

  JOHN R. McCLURE, one of Pike township's most respected citizens, who is a 
farmer and stock raiser and owns 140 acres of excellent land, situated three 
miles southwest of Curwensville, Pa., was born in Pike township, Clearfield 
county, Pa., August 21, 1841, and is a son of Wilson and a grandson of Thomas 
McClure.
  Wilson McClure was born in Pike township after his parents had come from 
Lancaster county and settled in this section.  At that time there were no 
public schools and the children obtained their educational training, such as it 
was, in the subscription schools.  Wilson McClure remained on the home farm and 
at one time owned 256 acres of land in Pike township, of which, with the help 
of his sons, he cleared eighty acres.  He married Mary Caldwell, a daughter of 
Matthew Caldwell of Pike township and they had the following children:  
Margaret, who became the wife of Daniel Star, of Curwensville; Porter, who 
married Maria Tate, lives at Curwensville; Mary Jane, who is the widow of John 
L. Rex; Samuel T., who was killed on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, 
in the Civil war, being a member of Co. B, 149th Pa. Vol. Inf., the famous 
Bucktail regiment; Marian, who resides in Pike township; John R.; Sarah Ellen, 
who is the wife of Foster Williams, of Iowa; Winfield S., who died in Oklahoma, 
unmarried; and an infant son, deceased.  The old homestead is owned jointly by 
John R. and Marian McClure.  The parents died here, the father on December 1, 
1851, and the mother on March 18, 1898, and they were buried in the old McClure 
cemetery.  They were members of the Presbyterian church.  In politics, Wilson 
McClure was a Whig.
  John R. McClure and his brothers and sisters obtained their early education 
at the old Oakland school-house, since when Mr. McClure has been engaged in 
agricultural pursuits and has also followed lumbering.  He has always lived on 
this farm with the exception of a short time spent in Penn township, and has 
erected all the substantial farm buildings now standing on the place.  All his 
land is well cultivated except seventy-five acres still in woodland and 
pasturage, Mr. McClure having some fine Guernsey cattle of high grade.
  Mr. McClure was married June 10, 1875, to Miss Hannah E. Johnson, who was 
born in Union township, Clearfield county, Pa., October 5, 1845, a daughter of 
Elah and Elizabeth (Horn) Johnson.  Elah Johnson was born in Penn township, a 
son of Samuel Johnson, one of the early pioneers of Clearfield county.  Elah 
Johnson was a millwright by trade and later became a farmer and owned 160 acres 
of land in Greenwood township that is now the property of Lewis Johnson.  He 
was a prominent Democrat and at one time was a county commissioner in 
Clearfield county.  His death occurred in Greenwood township, June 21, 1888, 
and his burial was in the Friends' cemetery, at Grampian, of which church he 
was a member.  He was married first to Elizabeth Horn, who was born in Chester 
county, Pa., and died in December, 1848, and was buried at Grampian.  She was a 
member of the Society of Friends.  Of the four children born to that marriage, 
Mrs. McClure is the only survivor.  Her father was married second to Hannah 
Troy, who was born in Brady township, a daughter of Samuel and Katherine Troy, 
and eight of the eleven children born to the second marriage are still living.
  Mr. and Mrs. McClure have eight children, as follows:  Melissa Belle, who 
married Dr. Woodside, of Lumber City, and they have two sons, Wendell and 
Hobart Keith; Samuel T., who resides at Grampian, married Eulala Fink, a 
daughter of Elmer Fink, of Clearfield county; Elah Wilson, who married Mary 
Murphy, resides at Lumber City and they have four children - Richard, Paul, 
Winfield and John; Clair, who resides at home; Cora Alice, who is the wife of 
Roy Caldwell, of Grampian, and they had one child - Merl Blair, who is now 
deceased; H. C., who resides at Woodland, Pa., married Clella Iddings; Thomas 
Rex, who lives near Blue Ball, on Morgan Run, married Mabel Kline; and Grace, 
who resides at home.  Mr. McClure and family attend the Friends' church.  He is 
identified with Susquehanna Grange and enjoys meeting other farmers and 
discussing questions of interest to agriculturists.  Although a stanch Democrat 
and at all times intelligently interested in township affairs, he has never 
consented to accept any public office.