Muscatine County >> 1911 IndexHistory of Muscatine County, Iowa M James W. McElravy submitted by Dick Barton There is no doubt as to the fighting blood which courses through the veins of some men who are born fighters, and either on the field of battle or in the sharply contested struggle for supremacy in the business world they give indisputable evidence of the class to which they belong. They are the natural leaders, and to them the world largely owes its present condition of progress in all departments of life. James W. McElravy, now living retired at West Liberty, is clearly entitled to a place among these men. He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, December 31, 1836, a son of Daniel and Margaret (McCombs) McElravy. The father, who was a farmer and stock-raiser, was born in 1798 near Belfast, Ireland, and came to the United States in 1816, locating near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He removed to Ohio in 1826, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1860. The family history has been traced to the Scottish clan McGregor. When this clan was almost exterminated by the English the survivors changed the name McGregor to McElravy and emigrated to Ireland, from which country descendants of this dauntless clan have gone forth to all parts of the world. The mother of our subject was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1798, and was married to Mr. McElravy in the Keystone state. She passed away at West Liberty in 1882. Her ancestors came to this country previous to the Revolutionary war. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. McElravy, John, Alec, William, Thomas, Robert and Nancy are deceased. Four brothers, Robert, Thomas, Frank and James W., participated in the Civil war. Robert was killed bravely fighting for his country at the battle of Petersburg; Thomas became captain of the Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteers and was wounded at Atlanta, Georgia; Frank was also wounded at Atlanta and is now in the gold mines at Haynes, Alaska. James W. McElravy received his early education in the common schools and was attending college at Hopedale, Ohio, at the outbreak of the Civil war. Responding to the call of President Lincoln, he enlisted in Company B, Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, May 13, 1861. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he reenlisted March, 1864, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, in September, 1865. After the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, January 27, 1864, he was commissioned first lieutenant by recommendation of General Logan, and when he laid his uniform aside he was in command of Company F of the Thirtieth Ohio Volunteers. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Antietam but later in the day overpowered his guards and made his escape. Near the city of Tuscumbia, Alabama, he was again taken prisoner because of his horse falling under him. He was locked in a house nearby and again succeeded in making his escape under somewhat peculiar circumstances, being released by a girl who pried open a window while the guard was indulging in a drink of whiskey. Mounting a horse which stood outside, the young soldier soon succeeded in reentering the Union lines. At one time, as the officer in charge of a detachment, he was ordered by General Sherman on a foraging expedition, which practically lasted from the time of the battle of Atlanta to the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, as he foraged all the way through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, being almost every day engaged in skirmishes with the enemy. The foraging order read, "Take liberally from the rich and give to the poor." The day before the battle of Bentonville, Captain McElravy was ordered to take charge of his company and make a forced march of sixty miles, which he did, entering the battle without stopping to rest. During the battle the captain and his men were most of the time obliged to fight knee deep in water. On the second morning after such great exertions, he was put into an ambulance by a surgeon and sent to Goldsboro. He was present at every battle and participated in every movement of his regiment, a statement that can be made of very few soldiers whose period of service extended throughout the entire war. Even after being sent to the hospital he refused to stay there, and, having been given a horse as he was unable to walk, he returned to his company which he commanded until the close of the war. Notwithstanding his frequent contact with the enemy, he was never wounded but once, being knocked down by an exploding shell at the battle of Antietam. A strong and robust man at the time of his enlistment, the terrific strain greatly reduced his strength, and two years after the war he weighed only ninety-six pounds, but his health improved by a trip to Colorado in 1867. His first venture in commercial life was as a hardware merchant at West Liberty. Later he sold out and spent eighteen months in Missouri, then returning to West Liberty, where he engaged for a year in the grocery and grain business. Being attracted to the newspaper field, he purchased the Enterprise, which he successfully edited for ten years and then sold, reentering mercantile life as a furniture dealer. He also bought the Index and Enterprise and edited them from 1897 to 1902, retiring from active labors in the latter year on account of ill health. In 1868 Mr. McElravy was united in marriage in Cedar county to Miss Belle Lewis, daughter of Clarke and Rachel (Wright) Lewis, who came to this county in 1846. Six children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. McElravy, four of whom are living: Mrs. H. E. Kelley of Denver, Colorado; Mrs. C. E. Ball, of Salt Lake City, Utah; Robert C., of Los Angeles, California; and Henry W., of Denver, Colorado. One died in infancy and Ellenor died in 1901. Mr. McElravy cast his ballot for John C. Breckenridge in 1860, for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and for Grover Cleveland in 1892. During recent years he has adhered closely to the republican party. Socially, he is connected with the Odd Fellows, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, which was organized at Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1865. In the course of a long and active life Mr. McElravy has demonstrated his worth as a patriotic citizen, a capable business man and a friend to the weak and unfortunate. He passed through many thrilling experiences in his early career, performing his duty as a soldier with the same conscientious devotion that he has shown in later life, and he has acquired a stability of character that is one of the most valuable traits any man can possess. Today no citizen of Muscatine county is more highly respected than the subject of this sketch. James McElravy submitted by Dick Barton When the tenor of public peace is undisturbed one does not stop to consider that back of this is the eternal, unrelaxing vigilance of men who are constantly engaged in the duty of suppressing crime and lawlessness, and that peace, liberty and protection are fruits of a well organized police system. Such, however, is the case, and at the present writing James McElravy is filling the position of chief of police of Muscatine, his loyalty and capability in office proving of the utmost benefit to the city. He was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, October 8, 1855, a son of James and Jane (McCormick) McElravy, both of whom were natives of Scotland. The father was a coal miner and coming to America, settled in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, whence he removed westward to Muscatine, Iowa, about 1859. Ten years later he met death in a mine, being killed by a rock falling upon him. In early manhood he had wedded Jane McCormick, a daughter of John McCormick, who was a native of Scotland and died there in middle life. The widowed mother afterward came to America with her family of three daughters and two sons, namely: Robert, John, Jane, Esther and Mrs. Wisely. Of the marriage of James McElravy and Jane McCormick there were born six children: James, of this review; Thomas; Mary Jane, the wife of H. M. Bell, of Muscatine; Martha, the deceased wife of John Clark; and two who died in childhood. The mother of this family survived her husband for a number of years, passing away in 1883 at the age of sixty-five. In religious faith she was a Presbyterian, devoted to the welfare of her church and to her family and ever loyal to her friends. James McElravy was reared in Muscatine from the age of five years and attended the public schools, pursuing his studies in the old No. 2 school. He afterward followed various occupations, including brick- making and boiler-making but has been connected with the police force of the city much of the time since 1885. In 1910 he was appointed to the position of chief of police by the city council and is now acceptably filling that office. On the 15th of September, 1886, Mr. McElravy was married to Miss Minnie Soehren, who was born in Walcott, Scott county, Iowa, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rheimer Soehren, who were natives of Germany and became early residents of Scott county. Her father died a number of years ago, but her mother is still living. In their family were seven children: Susan, the wife of John Ely; Lizzie, the wife of Mont Kent; Minnie, now Mrs. McElravy; Philip, who makes his home in Davenport, Iowa; Joseph, also of that city; Theressa, the wife of John Struve, a resident of Moline, Illinois; and Bettie, the wife of Joseph Meuimmann, of Davenport. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. McElravy has been blessed with four children, as follows: Hazel Emeline, the wife of Paul Fisher, of Muscatine, by whom she has a son, Paul James; Helen Corinne, at home; Marguerite, who died in infancy; and James, who is still in school. The family residence
is at No. 110 Foster street, Mr. McElravy there having a good home.
His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he holds
membership with the Maccabees and the Modern Woodmen of America. His
political allegiance has always been given to the republican party and,
keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the day, he is
able to support his position by intelligent argument. For over a half
century he has been a resident of Muscatine, so that he is largely familiar
with much of its history and has ever been an interested witness of
its growth and development. Few men are more wifely known in the city
and a genial manner and cordial disposition have made Mr. McElravy popular
with an extensive circle of friends. |