I'm changing course a little today and switching from the Winkelman family to the McGregor family. My grandmother Mary McGregor Winkelman had two sister, Florence and Caroline (Carrie). Florence never had any children, but Carrie had three: Doris, Constance, and Janet. So, today I'm going to add some history of the McGregor family.
Our branch of the McGregor family tree goes back to the late 1790's when John C. McGregor came to America and settled in Virginia. The following are the biographies of John, his son Eli, and his son John Sexton McGregor. These are found in the History of Clinton County, Ohio, published by B. F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, IN.
John McGregor, a native of Scotland, and for some time a resident of Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, came to America with six of his brothers, subsequent to the rebellion of 1794, in which he had been engaged, and settled in Frederick County, Virginia, on what is known as Apple Pie Ridge, where he engaged in keeping a house of entertainment. He was by trade a weaver, having learned the business in Scotland.
In company with his wife, Elizabeth (McGee), and family, he came to Ohio in 1802, settling in the spring of 1803 at Deerfield, Warren County. On Dec 3, 1803, for the price of seven quarters an acre, he purchased 200 acres of land in Murray's Survey, no. 1632, in Vernon Township, Clinton County, and settled upon it in 1808 or 1809.
On Dec. 5, 1810, John McGregor purchased lot #36 at the southeast corner of Main and Mulberry streets in Wilmington. In the spring of 1812, he removed to Wilmington, and on May 7, he was granted a tavern's license, and as early as June 2, in that year, he opened a tavern at that location.
At the June term of the Clinton County Court in 1811, it "adjourned to meet in Wilmington" in the following October, and on the 7th of that month, it met at the house of John McGregor, that being the first term held at the new county seat.
John McGregor died in 1813, having ruptured a blood vessel while attempting to lift a barrel of whiskey, and lived only an hour after the occurrence.
Reprinted from "The History of Clinton County, Ohio".
Eli McGregor, son of John McGregor, was born in Berkeley County, Virginia, Jan. 1, 1798. He came with his parents to Ohio in 1802. In 1812, he came to Wilmington, and, in 1813, went to Lebanon to learn the cabinet-maker's trade; he remained there a few years then went to Paris and Bowling Green, Ky.; then he returned to Wilmington, where he resided up to the time of his death, in July 1877. After his return from Lebanon, about 1821 or 1822, he opened a cabinet shop at his father's old corner. In May, 1822, he was married to Maria Sexton, daughter of Col. Joseph Sexton, of Frederick County, Va. Mrs. McGregor was born May 26, 1797, in Hendricks County, Va. They spent fifty-four years of happy married life together; they had seven children, six of whom lived to maturity.
On Nov. 6, 1835, Mr. McGregor was elected Mayor of Wilmington, the town having been incorporated Jan. 15, 1828. He was a member of the Wilmington Library Society.
Mr. McGregor was a strong anti-slavery man, and attended the Hamilton Convention, that, in 1840, organized the Liberty Party. He served in the organization known as the "Clinton County Anti-slavery Society" in 1842. A central committee was organized for Clinton County, and among those elected to serve upon it was Eli McGregor. He was a member of the Clinton County Auxiliary Bible Society. The subscription to the Society, according to an old slip of paper in the possession of Rachel, daughter of Eli McGregor, was $9.
Reprinted from "The History of Clinton County, Ohio".
Obituary
Death of Eli MacGregor. This venerable gentleman, so well and favorably known in this community, died at his residence, in Wilmington, on Sunday morning last, the 23rd inst.
Mr. MacGregor was born in Jefferson County, Virginia, January 1, 1798. his parents, John C. and Elizabeth MacGregor moved to Ohio in the spring of 1803. In the following year, they purchased a farm not far from Clarksville and built the ninth cabin on Todd's Fork. In 1813, they moved to Wilmington, and Mr. Eli MacGregor went to Lebanon, where he lived five years; after that, spent one year in Paris and Bowling Green, Kentucky. At the end of the year, he came back to Ohio; spent a few months in Xenia, and then removed to Wilmington where the remainder of his life was spent.
On the 30th of May, 1822, he was married to Maria Sexton, since which time he has resided in this place. They had seven children, four whom are living.
In 1840, he attended the Hamilton Convention that organized the Liberty Party, and nominated James G. Birney. He was a strong anti-slavery man, and the friend to liberty, justice and equal rights.
Mr. MacGregor lived a blameless life, and it can be truthfully said, in his case, "Behold the upright man!"
Obituary
Died. McGREGOR--At his residence in Wilmington, on Sunday morning, July23d, 1876, after short illness, Eli McGregor, in the 79th year of his age.
A man of great honesty of purpose, of pure character, and decided convictions he died respected by all.
An abolitionist of the old school, and ardent supporter of the Nation in its struggle to overthrow rebellion he hailed the abolition of slavery as the realization of the hopes of his earlier years. He had been a well known and highly esteemed resident of Wilmington for many years, and leaves an aged companion with whom he had lived for fifty-four years and four months, together with two sons and two daughters, and a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn his death.
John Sexton McGregor, a prominent farmer of the north-eastern part of Union Township, was born in Wilmington, Ohio, Jan. 26, 1826. He subsequently kept a general store on the corner of Main and Mulberry streets in Wilmington, the site of his grandfather's tavern, when those thoroughfares were yet full of trees and stumps. Mr. McGregor's parents were Eli and Maria (Sexton) McGregor. The former was a member of the Society of Friends, and a strong anti-slavery man. He was a conductor on the 'underground railroad' previous to the rebellion. Mr. McGregor was reared on a farm, and obtained a good English education in the schools of the neighborhood.
He learned the cabinet-maker's trade, and assisted his father at this business until he was thirty years of age. He subsequently carried on a cabinet-maker's shop in Brown and Greene counties for ten or eleven years. He was engaged in farming in Greene County until 1865, when he moved to his present location. He is the owner of sixty-seven acres of good land, through which runs the Pan Handle Railroad, and a flag station is located on the farm. He has been moderately successful in life. He was formerly a member of the Free-Soil Party, but of late has been a Republican. Mr. McGregor was united in marriage in 1857 to Caroline Bartholemew, a daughter of Chester Bartholmew. She is a native of Adams township. They have two children; Eli Chester and Joseph H. Mrs. McGregor is a member of the Christian Church.
Reprinted from "The History of Clinton County, Ohio".
I would appreciate it if someone in the family could write a biography of Eli Chester McGregor so I can add it to this blog. Unfortunately, I don't know too much about him other than the fact that he died exactly one year before I was born. Can someone help me out?
My next entry I'll go back to Grandpa's journal.
