James McCrae, a native of New Comstock, Scotland, was born June 15, 1825. He emigrated to America in 1850, landed at New York, and from there went to Pittsburg, Pa. After a five years' residence in that place he came to Iowa, and entered 320 acres of land in Highland Township. He then returned to Pittsburg, coming again to Iowa in 1857, which has been his home since. He owns 200 acres of finely improved land on sections 9 and 10, Sperry Township, which he cultivated until 1882, when he retned it to his son George. Mr.McCrae followed the avocation of an engineer until he was twenty-one years old, when he obtained employment in a rolling mill in Scotland. He also worked in the rolling mills at Pittsburg, and has worked in all the branches of the manufacture of iron and steel. He was married to Mario Muir in 1846, in Scotland. They have had six children - Gordon, born in Scotland in 1853; Mary, now Mrs. S. Gilson; George, James, Jeannette, now Mrs. Chas. Bentley, and William Thomas. Mr. McCrae has held the office of School Director. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1102 |