Family History of John Clinton Meneely the Younger

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