FAMILY RECORD OF JOHN C MENEELY
Were this family sketch to
bear a date, it would be 1940-1 and would cover a period of 160 years at
least.
To reveal the authors, it would read: The writer Harmon E
Meneely, and a real helper, Ora lee Smith.
So it is Aunt Ora Lee
and Harmon E. Ora was born May 26, 1874, and Harmon E was born June 25, 1874.
These two are "we" in the following introductory verse.
Ere we are
sought by Him who may bless,
And the seeking crown the search with
sucess,
It seems wise that we compile,
And as we gather place on
file,
Natal facts, both recent and of yore,
That they become true family
lore.
May each that has a copy hence,
Truly add, who, how, and
whence.
Contributed by Harmon E
Following the Revolutionary War and prior
to the founding of the United States, two families of Dublin, Ireland, heeded
the call. "Bound for America in a sail boat." Each reader will picture the trip
to suit. They landed in New York harbor.
Thus it was that life in
America began. The families were Meneely and Cunningham. Note that New York at
this time was a colony, not a state.
This Meneely family was the
founder of the Troy Bell Foundry still active. They were claimants of a
stalwart Scotch-Irish background, and the name, if it ever was McNeely, somehow
quickly cleared to its present form by some influence, perchance the free air of
America.
Whether from previous acquaintance, nationality, or
colonial association or what-not, there grew a close relation that might have
had in it the elements of romance.
How-be-it, a son, John C in the
Meneely family and a daughter, Isabelle, in the Cunningham family were
married.
This letter "C" occurs many times in this story and stands
for Clinton in most cases, and is said to have come from the McClintock family
of Scotland and Ireland.
To this Meneely-Cunningham union were born
John Clinton, Noble, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Margaret. (Note: the authors list
John first although he is not the oldest and there are some girls names
omitted.)
The John Clinton in the last paragraph was the originator
or progenitor of the Clinton County, Indiana group. He ws born on November 28,
1814 at Cumberland Valley, Penn.
Noble was the beginner of a branch
of the family around Brazil, Indiana which became numerous and is so
today.
This family not yet so old, having moved from New York
already now a state to Pennsylvania, also a state, each made so by the mere
ratification of the U S Constitution, seemed not to have located to suit them.
So by ox-wagons they slowly made their way toward the West, Indiana, which then
must have meant the land of the setting sun. On arriving at Hamilton, Ohio, they
camped and rested, and upon looking about for some reason or another, decided to
make and call it home. This was about 1832.
The story of this
Dublin couple ends at Hamilton, and at this point is the story of John Clinton
of 1814. He married Nancy Stewart of Cincinnati in 1835. To this union were born
Joseph, James, Hannah, and twins who died only two days apart when only about a
month and a half old. Their names were John and Nancy.
In
1844, nine years after his marriage, John C (Clinton) had evidently kept in mind
that Indiana was the goal of an intended journey to find a new home, so he
loaded the family and their belongings into wagons, the models of which had
changed little during their sojurn in Hamilton. Note that this was almost a
hundred years prior to this writing and to get from Hamilton, Ohio to Clinton
County, Indiana, a trip now made easily by auto in three hours must have
required-- well you guess how long and pleasant it must have been. Getting well
over to Central Indiana, they settled on land located three miles northeast of
Frankfort and a mile west of a point later known as Meneely Station and changed
to Avery Station on the north side of what is now called the Frankfort and
Michigantown blacktop road.
This home was maintained for some
years, but the writer when quite a small lad listened intently to a story about
John C (Clinton) still thinking better pay dirt could be found in the southwest,
upon which he sold the farm and with the family and necessary goods, went on
another wagon trip. This time he went through Missouri, Indian Territory (now
Oklahoma) and Texas to the Mexican border, and on the trip they camped for a
considerable time at the foothills of the Western Ozark Mountains where
some of the company wanted to locate, buy land and make it their home. But John
C (Clinton) disagreed with them and told them, "There will never be anyone
else ever live around here." Consequently, they moved on to the south, but
finding no suitable site for a home, they returned to this spot with the same
results.
Thus, after two years, they again bought the farm that
they had sold at a $5 per acre raise in price.
J C (John Clinton)
used to tell us that in writing about him to omit this story. So I am merely
calling attention to the situation which would make a good story if the facts
were to be obtained.
John C (Clinton), at times in partnership with
Joseph Holliday, a brother-in-law, did contracting work. Taking the public
square of Frankfort out of the mud and graveling it was one of his contracts.
The writer of these lines has a successful bid in writing dated April 17, 1879
for improving West Clinton Street with boulder ditches at $.39 per
lineal foot and to gravel the roadway with unscreened gravel at $1 per cubic
yard. They also built many miles of gravel roads in this and surrounding
counties.
John C (Clinton)A at one time kept the "Poor House"
located on a winding road about three miles northeast of the present County
Farm.
In later life he was retired from active service, but, being
a man of regular habits and a fine physique, lived many years to enjoy his
host of associates. He lived to January 14, 1905, thus passing the much coveted
period of time known as four score and ten. He had some outstanding
peculiarities. He never wore a colored shirt, but a home-made white muslin shirt
and home-made cotton-flannel underwear. He always moved on the first
Tuesday of the new moon and butchered when the moon was on the
increase, and planted potatoes on the 13th day of April. He wore his hat all the
day except at church or during mealtime. The hat was the last piece of apparel
to remove at night and the first to don on arising. The younger set sometimes
tried boxing hats with him and the general rule was that they received boxed
ears or worse. On leaving home for any distance the front door was the exit. He
usually wore his coat in warm weather as he claimed it kept out the
heat.
On taking a ride with anyone he had to be assured that
the horse was to be trusted. He often was seen with his "jug" among the harvest
hands and the contents was not water. But he guarded how they used it and was
careful himself in the same degree. He was honest, and courageous, and fair with
his fellowman, and admired those traits in others.
(This is the end
of the "story". All that remains are several pages of genealogical information
as to the descendants of this John Clinton. There is no information for the
progeny of Noble or Andrew
B.)
Addendum to the Family Record of John C. Meneely written by Larry W.
Meneely, grandson of Harmon E. Meneely
Sixty years have passed and
more
Til this year of Two Thousand and Four
Ora and Harmon have gone to
glory
But not before they told their story
To peak our interest they did
succeed
Adding to the story I will now proceed
If each who reads this -
does what they can
We will connect and expand the Meneely Clan
I feel
sure some of the information that follows was known to Harmon. I cannot
presume to know why it was not included in his writing.
The
parents of John C. Meneely are now believed to be Andrew (born before 1770) and
Eleanor Cobb Meneely, which makes him the brother of Andrew Meneely (born 1802)
who started the Meneely Bell Foundry. This premise is strengthened by
several things. In a Memoir to Andrew (born 1802) it is mentioned that
there were three brothers, the eldest still surviving and living in a western
state. Andrew's younger brother James had died in 1847. John C. was
in Indiana in 1851 and Indiana would have been considered a western state at
that time by New Yorkers. In addition, the write-up in the Frankfort
(Indiana) Weekly News in 1905, when John Clinton Meneely passed away, stated
that his father piloted a steam boat on the Hudson River and had a brother who
was the founder of the bell foundry in Troy, New York. In addition, while
not conclusive, the name Clinton shows up on the John C. side of the family
numerous times as it does on the Andrew (born 1802) side of the family.
When Andrew (married to Eleanor Cobb) died in 1806 Eleanor Meneely and a John
Clinton were made administrators for the disposal of his goods. So there
was definitely a John Clinton with close ties to the Meneely family in New
York.
We are still not clear as to exactly when the Meneely family
arrived in New York. Harmon states that it was prior to New York becoming
a state. That occurred in July 1788. The Memoirs for Andrew (born
1802) states that his family came to New York in 1795. We will not know
for sure until we can find them on a passenger list.
John C. and Isabella
Meneely had four children in Troy, New York, between 1808 and 1817, according to
the records of the First Presbyterian Church of Troy and a fifth child (John
Clinton Meneely) in Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, in 1814. The obituary
in 1905 when John Clinton Meneely died stated that the family moved to Albany,
New York, shortly after his birth. According to records in Troy it should
have said the family moved back to Albany. The obituary further states
that when John Clinton Meneely was four years old (my best guess would be the
spring of 1819) he went with his family from Albany to Cincinnati, Ohio, by way
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The journey from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati
being made by keel-boat on the Ohio River. What an adventure that must
have been. From Cincinnati they went to Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio,
where the father (John C.) engaged in farming and school teaching. In 1830
the family moved overland to Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio. In Hamilton
John Clinton Meneely was engaged in hauling pork for a packing house.
While in Hamilton he married Nancy Stewart. His brother, Noble Cunningham
Meneely, married Sidney Ann Stewart. Could they be sisters? We are
still trying to find out.
The obituary states that John Clinton Meneely
left Hamilton, Ohio, for Clinton County, Indiana, on election day in 1840 by ox
team and settled on what was known in 1905 as the John Messler farm located
northeast of Frankfort. His parents (John C. and Isabella) came in 1844
and settled on the Jacob Sheets farm near the town of Beard (five to six miles
from John Clinton). A brother-in-law, Joseph Holliday, also mentioned by
Harmon, arrived in 1840 and settled about three to four miles from John
Clinton Meneely. (Were they in Ohio together?)
The obituary also
states that John Clinton sold the farm on which he first settled and went to
Texas in a "praire schooner" in the spring of 1856 but returned the fall of the
same year. According to Harmon, John Clinton did not want the Texas story
told. I intend to honor that wish other than to say that it was an
ill-fated trip from the start. Isabella Meneely died on the trip and was
buried in Texas. The circumstances surrounding the trip caused discord in
the family that apparently was not resolved until 1860 when John Clinton Meneely
bought 160 acres where Joseph Meneely (Harmon's father) resided in 1905.
This appears to be the same land where John Clinton settled in 1840 when he
arrived in Clinton County.
Many questions still remain unanswered and I'm
sure there are errors that have not been corrected. As with Harmon and Ora
it is my hope that someone, either in this or a future generation, will add to
and improve upon this account.
Larry W.
Meneely
This site was last updated
11/19/10
Dave Cuzzort,
Clan Webmaster
Website hosted by Meneely.net
Thanks to
Dean and Melissa Meneely
Server Maintenance is costly and time consuming
Donations
are greatly appreciated.
11/19/2010 01:51:54 PM
Copyright © 2005 Clan.Meneely.net. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/19/10.