Biography of James H. McCoy

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1898. Page 280.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 


JAMES H. McCOY is one of the best known and most able lawyers of 
Webster, Day county. Mr. McCoy was born in Decatur, Illinois, July 14, 
1856, and is the son of Benjamin F. and Minerva (Helm) McCoy. Benjamin 
McCoy, a native of Greenbrier county, Virginia, is still living and 
resides upon his farm near Decatur. John McCoy, his father, was also a 
Virginian, coming from the same county, and was a farmer by occupation. 
He also did a little preaching in the Methodist church when not engaged 
with the crops. Mr. McCoy died in Champaign county, Ohio, years ago. 
Our subject's mother, Minerva McCoy, was born in Baltimore, Md., and 
died on the 11th of October, 1889. James, who was one of a family of 
four sons and two daughters, obtained his education in the common and 
high schools of Decatur, Illinois, and the Illinois Wesleyan 
university, at Bloomington. He was graduated from the law department of 
the university in 1880, having read and studied the legal tomes while 
attending the Decatur schools. He began practice at once at Decatur, 
and remained there for two years. In 1882 he was appointed special 
examiner of pensions, with headquarters at Louisville, Kentucky He held 
this position until the first of July, 1885. He then went to Dakota, 
setting up an office at Britton, Marshall county. He practiced there 
with much success until January, T893, when, desiring a larger field, 
which the ardent disciple of Blackstone ever looks forward to, he 
removed to Webster, where he has since resided. Mr. McCoy was auditor 
of Marshall county during the years 1887 and 1888, and in 1889 was 
elected county judge. He served continuously until 1893, when he 
resigned the office. Politically he is a Republican, and since becoming 
a citizen of Webster has served as chairman of the county central 
committee and held several local public positions. He is a member of 
the Masonic fraternity, A. O. U. W. and M. W. A.

	On the 27th of June, 1883, Mr. McCoy married Miss Hannah Heath, a 
resident of Decatur, Ill., and a daughter of George and Melinda Heath. 
Mr. and Mrs. McCoy are the parents of five children Mary I, the eldest, 
who was born September 7, 1884, died March 21,  1893. Lelah was born 
March TT, 1886. Lucian H., born April 5, 1888, died on the 17th of May, 
in the year following. James C. was born October 18, 1892, and George 
F., born December 17, 1896, survived less than a year, dying on the 
20th of September, 1897.