ROBERT MCCAULL

MCCAULL, MCDOWELL

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 2/5/2002 at 17:22:55

Decatur County Journal
September l7, l9l4

ROBERT MCCAULL, son of JAMES and BARBARA
MCCAULL, was born October 25,
l832, at Blackcraig, Mines, Kirkcudbright
Shire, Scotland. At the age
of l9 he came to America and for several
years worked as a farm hand in
Cayuga County, New York, where on December
25, l86l he was married to
ELIZABETH MCDOWELL, who survives him.

In the fall of l862 they located in Chicago
where he for sometime owned
a fruit and confectionery store and later
bought a farm near Union,
McHenry County, Illinois, but sold that in
the fall of l868.
MR. and MRS. MCCAULL and their then two small
sons, JAMES and WILLIAM,
age 6 and 4 years respectively, moved to
Decatur County, Iowa, making
the trip by team and wagon.

MR. MCCAULL purchased a l20-acre farm from
AUNT LUCRETIA ARNOLD and the
next year built a house on the farm and
commenced to cut the hazel brush
and improve the farm on which he made his
home to the end, which came
Sunday morning, September 6, l9l4, at about 6
o'clock. On the Pleasant
Ridge farm was born the third son, SAMUEL
JOHN.

MR. MCCAULL was raised a Presbyterian and for
many years was trustee and
then elder of the church at Garden Grove. In
the early days of the
Order of the Patrons of Husbandry he was
state deputy for Decatur, Wayne
and Ringgold Counties and from l870 to l875,
he organized eighty-four
"Granges" in the three counties. He was
prominent in the early days of
Greenback political party and was as long as
the party was in existence,
one of the leaders in the state organization.
Originally he was a
Fremont, Lincoln, Grant Republican, but in
later years was a great
admirer of William Jennings Bryan and his
last ballot was cast for
Woodrow Wilson.

When the farmers commenced the warfare on the
barbed wire trust he was
one of the ten men in the state who put up
the necessary bond to carry
the case to the United States Supreme Court
and won it. That suit
caused the price of barbed wire to come down
from l3 cents a pound and
it was in that case our present United States
Senator, A.B. Cummins,
then a young practitioner, made a name for
himself.

In later years he was not active in public
affairs on account of failing
health, and led a quiet life in the new home
that had been built by his
sons on the old homestead. He made but one
trip to his old home in
Scotland, but enjoyed travels in America.

MR. MCCAULL had four brothers and six
sisters, but they have all passed
beyond. One of them, MICHAEL J. MCCAULL, for
many years a beloved
citizen of the town. ROBERT MCCAULL was a
good pious and honest
citizen, a model neighbor and a friend to all
and was a husband, father
and grandfather to be proud of. All who knew
him will long revere his
memory.

The three sons, JAMES L. and SAMUEL J., from
Minneapolis, Minn., and
WILLIAM S., from Kansas City, Mo., and their
families were all present
at the funeral which was held Wednesday
afternoon of this week. The
funeral services were conducted from the
Presbyterian Church at Garden
Grove by Rev. John Wilson; interment being
made in the beautiful Garden
Grove Cemetery.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 3, 2002