BIOGRAPHIES:  John McCAIN, Lakeport, Pepin Co., WI

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Submitted by Nance Sampson, Pepin Co. Archives File Manager on 19 November 2004
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**Posted for informational purposes only - submitter is not related to the
subject of this biography and has no further information.

John McCain (deceased) was born in Indiana county, Pa., February 21,
1814, and died at Lakeport, Wis., January 3, 1887.  His grandfather,
William McCain, an English-Scotchman, came to America when a young man.
He had one son, William.  After his death, his widow married Peter
Dilts, by whom she also had one son, Peter.  William McCain, the son,
married Elizabeth Newcomb, and to them were born eleven children: 
Nancy (Mrs. L. McGee), Margaret (Mrs. E. Hanagan), John, Betsy e.,
Samuel, Mary, Barbara (Mrs. J. Knapp), Susan (Mrs. J. Hanna), William,
Peter D., and Sarah D. (Mrs. S. Lantz).  Mr. and Mrs. William McCain,
parents of the subject of this sketch, came to Pepin township in 1860,
and here died, the former in 1865, and the latter in 1863.  John McCain
received but little schooling, but picked up a good knowledge of
business.  In 1840 he came west, spent the following season with a
party of surveyors in Iowa, and in the fall of 1841 came to Menomonie,
Wis., and engaged in lumbering.  The following spring he ran down the
river with lumber, and this occupation he followed in its season until
1860, becoming one of the most skillful and noted pilots in the upper
Mississippi valley.  In the fall of 1845 he selected and staked out a
claim to a large tract of land, then unsurveyed, and began to make
improvements.  The following season he built a log house on the site of
the present residence of Mrs. William McCain.  This was the first
permanent building in Pepin township, and probably the first in the
county.  It served as a temporary home for all the families that came
for several years subsequently, and all were welcome to the shelter
which it supplied.  In 1854 Mr. McCain started a brickyard on his farm,
the products of which have entered into the construction of many
buildings in this and neighboring towns.  Soon after making his claim,
he laid out the village of Johnstown, afterward known as Lakeport. 
This became quite a flourishing village before Pepin had sprung into
existence, but now contains only a few dwelling houses.  Mr. McCain was
married March 28, 1860, to Miss Elizabeth Barry, daughter of Hon. James
Barry, who bore him one daughter, Maggie (Mrs. J. Guthrie).  After his
marriage he retired from the river, living on the farm until his death.

In many respects Mr. McCain was a typical Scotch-American.  He is
described as a tall, powerful, well-built man, who was ever ready to
face any danger, or endure any hardship that occasion required.  He was
peculiarly well fitted for the life of a pioneer, in a country filled
with Indians and wild beasts.  Free-hearted and generous almost to a
fault, he was known and esteemed in all the river towns from Menomonie
to St. Louis.  He was an especial favorite with the children, whom he
often befriended, and to whom the arrival of "Uncle Mack" was always a
cause of great rejoicing.  He took but little interest in politics. 
Previous to the war he was a democrat, but acted with the republicans
from 1860.  He was county commissioner of Dunn county before the
separation of Pepin county, and also served as treasurer of Pepin
township.  For the last thirty years of his life he was a member of the
Methodist church, and of the I. O. G. T., in both of which he took a
great interest.

Peter D. McCain was born in Jefferson county, Pa., May 17, 1828.  He
attended the common school until about fifteen years old, when he began
to learn the trade of a cabinet-maker.  Later he worked at
carpentering, and at eighteen, in company with J. McHenry, began
contracting and building.  In 1850 he came to Pepin township, which
then contained but five houses.  He followed the river a part of the
time four about sixteen years, but has worked at his trade most of the
time.  He built the first school-house in Pepin, and a number of the
first frame buildings in this and neighboring townships.  He also owns
a farm of forty acres.  William McCain, brother of Peter, came to Pepin
and engaged in farming in 1852.  He married Eliza J. Sloniker, and they
had ten children, seven of whom are still living:  Mary (Mrs. C. B.
Clark), Lizzie (Mrs. J. Sene), Rebecca (Mrs. J. Croll), Melinda,
Harrison, Sarah (Mrs. A. Goss), John T., Lula C. (Mrs. O. Howard),
Belle and Samuel.  Mr. McCain died September 18, 1880.  Mrs. McCain and
daughter Melinda still reside on the farm.  Peter, who has never
married, makes his home with Harrison.

-Transcribed from the "Historical & Biographical Album of the Chippewa
Valley Wisconsin, 1891-2," paged 661-662.


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