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EUGENE W. McCULLEY, recently elected supervisor of Benton county, owns and operates a well-improved farm of two hundred acres in Benton township, and also leases additional land. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and came to Benton county with his parents in 1865; they located in Urbana, Polk township, where the father practised medicine until 1894, after which he retired until his death two years later. Mr. McCulley is a son of Dr. James McCulley, who was well known in Benton county.
Dr. James McCulley was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1818, son of John and Catherine McCulley, and died at his farm in Polk township, Benton county, Iowa, August 21, 1896. He was educated at Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, being twenty-two years of age when he completed his course; he was well educated and a fine scholar in Greek and Latin. After leaving school he removed to Steubenville, Ohio, where in 1840 he began the practice of medicine. In 1865 he removed with his family to Benton county, Iowa, locating first in Urbana, and three years later on his farm about three miles from there which was his home until his death.
When only eleven years of age Dr. McCulley was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a devout member thirty years, being for twenty years a minister of that church. In 1860 he united with the Baptist church, and after settling at Urbana he became a member of a church organized by Reverend J. L. Coppoc, known as the Baptist church of Urbana. The first meeting was held in a school house located on Dr. McCulley's farm. At a call of the council convened by the church Dr. McCulley was ordained to the ministry in the Baptist church, and served as pastor there many years; in later years, when this church was abandoned Dr. McCulley and his wife joined the Vinton Baptist church.
Dr. McCulley was twice married, first to Mary Ann McCulley, by whom he had six children (she was not related to him, though bearing the same surname) ; and second to Sarah J. Ward, born in Belmont county, Ohio, August 19, 1830. The latter was a daughter of Jacob and Ann S. (Moore) Ward, farmers and early settlers in the "Western Reserve," of Ohio.
By his first marriage Dr. McCulley's children were: Eliza M., living in Jackson county, Missouri; John M., a veteran of the Civil war, residing near Longmont, Kansas; Mary C., Mrs. Swem, living in Salt Lake City, Utah; James A., a veteran of the Civil war, living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; William who died when about two year old; Olinthus A., who died August 27, 1895, at Denver, Colorado, aged about forty years.
By his second marriage Dr. McCulley had children as follows: Eugene W.; Florence L., who married Dow L. Burrell and died February 6, 1896; Elmira, who married Matt Gaasch and lives in Cowlitz county, Washington; Carrie A., married George D. Hawley and lives near Urbana; and Jessie V., wife of Henry E. Jones, of Adams county, Iowa. Dr. McCulley was for many years affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Masons.
Eugene W. McCulley was reared in Benton county from the time he was five years of age, and since the age of twelve has done a man's work on a farm. He is self-made, energetic, industrious and has achieved unusual success in the conduct of his affairs. He has made a specialty of stock raising, besides general farming, and now owns one hundred head of fine stock.
Politically Mr. McCulley is a Republican, and has always taken an active interest in public affairs; he has filled many township offices, and is now serving as supervisor of the county, having been elected in the fall of 1908. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife belong to the Order of Rebekah. Although his parents were earnest Baptists, Mr. McCulley and his family attend the Christian church, of which they are members.
In the spring of 1905 Mr. McCulley married Clara Rambo, for years a teacher of Benton county, and they have one son two and one-half years of age, Eugene Donald. Mr. McCulley's mother is now living with him, and is in her eightieth year.
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