J. A. MCWAID
J. A. McWaid was born in Logan county, Ohio, on the 7th day of March, 1836, his parents being Samuel and Clarinda (Gilliland) McWaid, natives of Ohio. Samuel McWaid was a blacksmith by trade, and followed the business for many years. In 1854 he came to Iowa, and at present resides in Linn Ccounty. J. A. McWaid was reared on a farm, and received a common school education. In 1856 he removed to Cedar county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming. In 1857 he was married, in Cedar county, to R. E. Todd, a native of Ohio. In January, 1869, he came to Atlantic, Cass county, and formed a partnership with J. H. Needles, in agricultural implements, and blacksmith, wagon and carriage building, which continued for eight years, the firm name being Needles and McWaid. At the expiration of the partnership, Mr. McWaid erected a building on Chestnut Street and again engaged in the implement business, which he run for three years, then selling to Mr. Newlon. In 1882, he superintended the erection of the Atlantic packing house and the Atlantic canning factory, in both of which enterprises Mr. McWaid was largely interested. He is also the possessor of six hundred acres of fine land, which is run as a stock farm. Mr. and Mrs. McWaid are the parents of seven children--Ida M., Rosa B., Callie, Ella, Minnie, Mabel and Willie A. Mr. McWaid is one of the live business men of Atlantic, and has done much in building the city up to its present prosperous condition. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 880.
