Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 645
JOHN C. MCCABE

Among the pioneers of Harrison county who are justly entitled to a place of prominence in the annals of this county is the late editor and proprietor of The Logan Observer, who for twenty-one years exerted a wide influence in the county and state, by reason of his fair, clear and open editorials, many of which were widely quoted throughout the state and nation.

John C. MCCABE was born near the line of King county, New York, May 5, 1840, a son of Francis and Elizabeth (CONNAUGHTY) MCCABE. The father was a native of County Cavan, Ireland, born in 1817. He married at the age of nineteen and sailed for America, landing at New York harbor, April 16, 1840, after a six weeks' voyage on the Atlantic. For six years the family resided near Albany, New York, then moved to Canton, Massachusetts, fifteen miles from Boston, where they remained until 1848, in which year they emigrated to a point near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, locating on a farm where the father died May, 1884. The wife and mother died February 11, 1863, aged fifty-five years.

John C. MCCABE 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 rubble. As a monument to this work the old stone fence still remains, the same having been built from the stones gathered about the premises. Mr. MCCABE also attended the high school at Oshkosh after which he bade adieu to Wisconsin and on August 30, 1861, went to Scott county, Iowa, where for three months he clerked for an uncle. He then taught school until 1864, after which for eight months he traveled in different states and territories. He had decided to cross the plains, but upon arriving at Council Bluffs, concluded he would abandon the trip west and he retraced his steps to Harrison county, locating in Raglan township. That summer he worked for Charles Gilmore on the farm, and in the winter commenced teaching school, which vocation he followed until 1880. He taught at least five months each year of this time, his service covering four townships in Harrison county. In the spring of 1867 he purchased a farm in sections 12 and 13, Raglan township, the same containing one hundred and twenty acres. He carried on the work of this farm and kept up his teaching at the same time. In the winter of 1869-70 he went to the Missouri bottoms, having a contract to saw railroad ties for the Sioux City and Pacific (now Northwestern) Railroad Company. We next find Mr. MCCABE farming on shares in Magnolia township, but in the spring of 1870, he bought one hundred and twenty acres in section 28, Allen township, the same being unimproved prairie land. He there made substantial improvements and moved to the place in 1871. He worked hard and saved his earnings, and wisely purchased two hundred acres to add to his original tract, this giving him a half section of valuable land. Among the improvements he made on this farm was an orchard which proved to be a valuable one, and one in which he took great delight.

For about twelve years prior to 1887, Mr. MCCABE served as deputy county surveyor, and in the autumn of the year just named he was elected to that office. On April 24, 1888, he moved to Logan to assume control of the surveyor's office. The next important public move made by this gentleman was when he mounted the tripod in the office of The Logan Observer, which newspaper plant he bought in December, 1889. From the first Mr. MCCABE seemed suited to the position of editor. He liked the duties thus imposed upon him and made a first-class county paper, which grew in strength and importance as the years rolled by. As a surveyor he was well fitted for every important duty of the office and was one of the best posted men in matters concerning the lands and the descriptions of their surveys that ever looked upon the face of a land surveyor's compass, or checked to the words stick-stuck of a chainman hereabout.

John C. MCCABE was united in marriage November 27, 1866, to Cordelia I. PATCH, a native of Ohio, who was born June 19, 1847, a daughter of Joel H. and Hannah (ROBINSON) Patch. To this union five children were born, as follow: Frank H., born April 17, 1870, now owner and editor of The Observer, at Logan, Iowa; John A., born July 24, 1871, deceased; Clark, born October 22, 1872, deceased: Daisy R., born August 26, 1878, and Robert M., born November 14, 1880. The last named in now advertising manager for the Branden's store at Omaha, and his sister, Daisy, is connected with The Logan Observer as an assistant to her brother Frank H.

Mr. MCCABE was an uncompromising Republican and was never ashamed of the general teachings of his party. It is true, however, that when the party platform did not contain the principles which he thought were right and just to the masses, he did not fail to take issue and say so boldly in the columns of his paper. He stood for principle and not for men, unless such men stood for that which was just to the general community.

Mr. MCCABE was connected with the Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities, and had been identified with the Presbyterian church since 1897. For years he was much interested in Sunday school work and was superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday school at Logan.

The good wife and mother passed from earth June 12, 1900, her death being a great affliction to Mr. MCCABE whose tastes were all for home and its hallowed surroundings and who never was happier than when seated at his own fireside. He bravely bore the sad bereavement, however, and labored on as before. During the early months of 1911 Mr. MCCABE's health failed and he soon knew that his months were few on this side the dark river. For many weeks he remained at home trying to baffle the disease, which was of the stomach, but all to no avail, as it proved to be a cancerous growth. Surrounded by his family and friends, his spirit took its flight October 1, 1911, just as Nature was putting on her robes of autumnal beauty, tinged with amber and gold, the scene being one of garnered harvests, typical of the life-long work of him who had departed this life.

The estimate placed upon the career of Mr. MCCABE, by the editor of The Missouri Valley News, who did not always agree with the deceased editorially, but did have great confidence in and esteem for him, will be found in the following words: John C. MCCABE was a good citizen. He was ever a reformer. He believed that while this world is growing better, it was his duty always to forward improvement along all lines tending to the civilization of mankind, the development of resources, the embellishment of his surroundings, the improvement of his social life the schools, the churches, the lodges, the farmer's clubs and library work. He was verily a pioneer in all good works, looking to the betterment of mankind in his country, and for that reason Harrison county is indebted not a little to his newspaper influence for good and cheerful words, throughout the trying and sometimes doubtful years of the passing decades.

The News and its editor often differed from MCCABE on many occasions, and warred with him editorially on many subjects, yet never without the full consciousness of his ability, and due regard for his high character as a man and a citizen, as well as an editor of good repute. His work is done. His trestle-board is laid aside. His tripod is folded for all time. His pen is rusted in its stock. His voice is silent in the grave, but his high and noble purposes have become a part of our permanent public possessions, for this is the nature of our editorial work. It seems to perish as it is written, but it then only begins to live. A thought takes root here and a suggestion sinks in good ground, a high resolution is caught somewhere, perhaps by some school boy or girl and by them flung to the winds in a song and on and on it goes doing good unto thousands, even to unborn generations. In such work was Mr. MCCABE useful. His paper fell into happy homes where children played till they learned to decipher the meaning of the printed page from which they formed opinions of right and wrong. Whole communities have their ideas of temperance, of frugality, of industry, of honor, of chastity and social purity moulded from the columns of that clean paper and these ideas exist today, clean cut and never fading from the public mind and that is monument enough for any man.

Return to 1915 Biographical M Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index