BIO: James McCulloch, Cumberland County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ ______________________________________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. Illustrated. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm ______________________________________________________________________ PART II. HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. CHAPTER LIII. NEWTON TOWNSHIP. 520 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: JAMES McCULLOCH, farmer, P. O. Big Spring, is a great-grandson of John McCulloch, who emigrated from the North of Ireland, and settled in what is now Mifflin Township, but afterward removed to a farm near Newville, which is still owned by and in possession of some of his descendants. He had three sons: John, William and James; and five daughters: Susanna, married to Ezekiel Mitchell, who in an early day emigrated to Kentucky; Elizabeth, married to Robert McCormick, of Path Valley; Margaret, married to James Hill, who also went West; Sarah, married to Richard Patton, and Jane, married to James McKinstry. James was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He was born in 1761 or 1762. Though quite young at the time, he drove a team in the army of the revolution. In or about the year 1790 he purchased 600 acres of land bordering upon and extending back about one mile from Big Spring, near its source, nearly all of which is still owned by some of his descendants. He was married June 7, 1792, to Mary Henderson, daughter of Thomas Henderson, whose wife's name was Wharton. From this union eight children were born, viz: John, Thomas and William, each of whom owned and occupied a portion of the home farm during life; James, once register of wills of this county and afterward a physician, who died at Muncie, Ind.; Sarah, married to James Huston; Eliza, married to Andrew Coyle; Mary Jane, married to Samuel Piper, and Margaret Anne, married to David Jackson McKee - of whom Mrs. Coyle, Mrs. Piper and Mrs. McKee are the only survivors. Thomas McCulloch, the father of James, was born April 2, 1797, on the farm where he spent most of his life, and where he died February 16, 1868. April 3, 1823, he was married to Isabella Blean, daughter of Robert Blean, an only son of David Blean, who settled, in an early day, upon the farm on Big Spring, now owned by David Duncan. Robert Blean married Mary Craig, and had ten children, nine 521 NEWTON TOWNSHIP. of whom reached mature age, viz.: John, David, Robert, William, Isabella (wife of Thomas McCulloch), Grizelle (wife of James Fulton), Mary (wife of Alexander Thompson), Jane (wife of George McBride) and Margaret (wife of John Work). Of Thomas and Isabella were born seven children, viz.: James, born January 5, 1824; Robert Blean, born May 12, 1825, now living in Peoria, Ill.; Thomas Henderson, born September 1, 1827, for many years a resident of Monmouth, Ill., but now of Omaha, Neb.; John Craig, born October 28, 1829, who died August 24, 1850; David, born January 25, 1832, now an attorney in Peoria, Ill., where for eight years he was judge of the circuit court, and six years of that time assigned to duty as one of the justices of the appellate court of the State; Mary Ellen, wife of William S. Morrow, living in Chambersburg, and Isabella, who died in infancy. James owns and lives upon the farm owned by his father in his lifetime, having never left the place of his nativity. February 4, 1847, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Brown, daughter of Joseph Brown, Esq., of West Pennsborough Township. To this union three children were born, viz.: Isabella Craig, born November 5, 1848, wife of J. Sharp Hemphill, now living on part of her father's farm; Nancy Jane, born May 30, 1850, living with her father, and Mary Grizelle, born June 20, 1852, died September 26, 1881, who was the wife of Prof. John C. Sharp, a noted worker in educational matters. Mrs. McCulloch died April 10, 1854, and is buried in the United Presbyterian Cemetery at Big Spring, of which church both she and her husband were members. He is one of the most prominent citizens of this township, a self-made man who, without the educational facilities of the present day, has, by force of character, observation, reading and good judgment, became one of the best informed men of this part of the county, and whose opinion has weight among his neighbors. In politics he is a Democrat.