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ARCHIBALD ST. CLAIR, who conducts an elevator at Mount Auburn, was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, October 2, 1848, and came to Benton county in 1857, at the age of nine years. He is a son of Hugh and Margaret (Mack) St. Clair, the former born in the same place in Pennsylvania, June 5, 1808. Hugh St. Clair was reared in his native state, and was there married, October 1, 1829. He came to Iowa in 1856, and one year later located in Benton county. He was a farmer in Pennsylvania, and bought eighty acres of land in Benton county, which he improved, and here he lived until his death, November 19, 1877. His wife, a daughter of Robert and Margaret (Campbell) Mack, was born in Pennsylvania, January 26, 1811, and was there reared and married. She survived her husband fourteen years, and her death occurred June 12, 1891. Her father was a successful farmer in Pennsylvania, and owned two or three hundred acres of land. Hugh St. Clair and his wife were blessed with children as follows: Hugh, born April 12, 1840, who owns a farm in Cedar township; John M., living in Mount Auburn; Archibald; Rebecca, widow of L. M. Wallace, of Vinton; Robert, who died August 27, 1897, in Nebraska, his family living now in the west; Margaret, who died October 14, 1875, the wife of J. R. Wallace, of Vinton, Iowa; George, born in June, 1853, and died in Benton county, in September, 1868; Robert, who died in infancy, in November, 1833; and Samuel, born February 20, 1839, and died April 24, 1839.
Archibald St. Clair received his education in the public schools, and remained on his father's farm until he attained his majority, at which time he married. He then purchased eighty acres of land and lived one year at home before he removed to his farm. He soon had this under cultivation and purchased another forty acres; he sold the forty acres and purchased eighty acres adjoining his first eighty. He invested in land in Minnesota in 1907, moved to his second eighty acres and lived there until 1882. In 1882 Mr. St. Clair moved to Mount Auburn and embarked in the lumber and grain business in company with his brother Hugh, under the name of St. Clair Brothers, and kept up this business until about four years ago, when he abandoned the lumber trade and now deals in grain only. For* four or five years he and his brother were also engaged in mercantile business under the firm name of St. Clair & St. Clair. Mr. St. Clair still owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in sections 21 and 28 in Cedar township. He has been very successful in handling his elevator, and is considered one of the leading business men of Mount Auburn. He has paid close attention to his financial interests, and has made his business yield a good profit. In politics Mr. St. Clair is a Republican, and he has served in township offices. He is a member of the United Presbyterian church.
Mr. St. Clair married Isabella E., daughter of Robert Wallace, and their children are: Louise A., wife of S. R. Edmond, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; Margaret.R., wife of C. H. Rawson, of Coleman, South Dakota; Robert H., living at home; William J., of Colorado; Harry A., of Vinton; and lola Faye, at home.
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