Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 631
JOHN C. MCCABE

John C. MCCABE, editor of the Logan Observer, has been a resident of Harrison County, since April 10, 1865, one year more than a quarter of a century, and has been closely identified with every interest of Harrison County from that day to this, and hence very naturally, would find a place on the pages of Harrison County history. But before reviewing the career of this man's life as it has been found in Harrison County, we turn the attention of the reader the Empire State--New York--and to a point near the line of King County, where our subject was born May 5, 1840. His parents were Francis and Elizabeth (CONNAUGHTY) MCCABE. The father was a native of the county of Cavan, Ireland, and born about 1817, and was married when nineteen years of age, and sailed for America, landing in New York harbor April 16, 1840, after a six weeks' voyage on the ocean. For six years they lived near Albany, and then moved to Canton, Mass., fifteen miles from Boston, where they remained until 1848, and then moved to a point near Oshkosh, Wis., locating on a farm where the father died in May 1884. The mother of our subject died February 11, 1863, aged fifty-five years. Mr. MCCABE's father and mother reared a family of eight children, seven of whom still survive, our subject being the second child, the eldest, Terrence MCCABE, lives in Raglan Township, this county.

John C., our subject, attended the common district schools in Wisconsin, until nineteen years of age, assisting his father to clear up a farm, the surface of which was covered with heavy timber and stone. This was no small task as the reader will know, when it is said that the greater part of this farm is now fenced with stone gathered from the farm.

About this time our subject attended the High School of Oshkosh. He bid farewell to his old home in the Badger State, August 30, 1861, and came to Scott County, Iowa, where he was engaged as a clerk three months for his uncle, Cornelius MCCABE, but not being pleased with that occupation, he taught school from that time until 1864. For the next eight months it is found that he traveled in different states and territories, teaching school, which profession he followed until about 1880, teaching at least five months of each year, within four townships of Harrison County. In the spring of 1867 he bought a farm on sections 12 and 13, of Raglan Township, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres, which he carried on, besides teaching school. When he purchased the place it had a log cabin 12x16 feet, in which he lived until he sold the place to John V. WALKER in the autumn of 1869. The following winter he went to the Missouri Bottoms, having a contract with the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company, to furnish ties for them. We next find Mr. MCCABE cultivating a farm on shares in Magnolia Township, but in the spring of 1870 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 28, of Allen Township, the same being wild land, and that season he broke considerable prairie and erected a house, moving to the place in 1871. Through hard work and good management Mr. MCCABE added two hundred to the original tract, giving him a half section of rich Harrison County soil. The improvements on this place consisted of two hundred and thirty-five acres of plow land, a good story and a half farm house 18x26 feet, with a kitchen 14x24 feet, also an orchard of about three acres planted out in the spring of 1870, which is now very productive of valuable fruit.

At the general election in the autumn of 1887, Mr. MCCABE was elected to the office of County Surveyor, having been deputy Surveyor for about twelve years prior to that date. April 24, 1888, he came to Logan and assumed control of the duties of his office, serving one term of two years. We next find our subject planted in the editorial chair of the Observer at Logan, which newspaper plant he purchased December 19, 1889, and still continues to operate, the further particulars of which will be found in the village history of Logan, in connection with the other newspapers. Mr. MCCABE is a practical, forcible, editorial writer. In addition to his journalistic work, he does a large amount of surveying, and is probably better posted regarding that portion of Harrison County west of the Boyer River, than any other man who has looked upon a compass and carried a chain, in the county.

November 27, 1866, our subject was united in marriage to Cordelia I. PATCH, a native of Ohio, born June 19, 1847, and the daughter of Joel H. and Hannah (ROBINSON) PATCH. Mrs. MCCABE is the fourth child of her father's family; her mother died when she was ten days old. Her father again married a lady who died before he came to Harrison County. He emigrated to this county in 1853, and died in Morgan Township, while there on a visit, his home being in Magnolia Township. He was born October 14, 1814, and died January 21, 1879.

Mr. and Mrs. MCCABE are the parents of five children--Frank H., born April 17, 1870, and now works in his father's office; John A., July 24, 1871, deceased; Clark, October 22, 1872, deceased; Daisy R., August 26, 1878; Robert M., November 14, 1880.

Politically, Mr. MCCABE is a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and comes nearer to being able to give a hope for the political faith he holds, than almost any man in his community. He is a member of Logan Lodge, no, 355, I. O. O. F., Columbian Encampment, No. 101 at Logan, and Magnolia Lodge, No. 126, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masonry.

Mrs. MCCABE has been identified with the Presbyterian Church for three years. Both our subject and his estimable wife are well known throughout Harrison County, "Mac" being the same plain, common sense every-day man, whether on the farm, in the school room, carrying the tripod, or in the sanctum of the Observer, and hence counts his friends by the on word--Legion.

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