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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
A History of Northwest Ohio
A Narrative Account of Its Historical
Progress and Development
from the First European Exploration of the Maumee and
Sandusky Valleys and the Adjacent Shores of
Lake Erie, down to the Present Time
By Nevin O. Winter, Litt. D.
Assisted by a Board of Advisory and Contributing Editors
ILLUSTRATED
Vol. I & II
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York
1917
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WILLIAM ARTHUR MARKER
Source: A History of Northwest Ohio, Publ. The Lewis
Publishing Co., Chicago & New York, 1917 - Page 770 |
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GEORGE HAYDEN MARSH Source:
A History of Northwest Ohio, Publ. The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago
& New York, 1917 - Page 798 |
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CHARLES A. McCONAHY
has played his part well and usefully in life, and is now enjoying a
well earned retirement at Van Wert, where his most active years were
spent.
He was born in Gilboa, Putnam county, Ohio, in 1848.
His father, Grimes McConahy, who was born Dec. 20 1817,
probably in the State of Pennsylvania, son of James McConahy,
learned the trade of harness maker. That was his occupation at
Gilboa, in Putnam County, and he removed from there to Lima, and in
1852 joined the little settlement at Van Wert, where he was one of
the pioneers in his trade. After the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and
Chicago Railroad was built through Van Wert the first agent of the
road appointed as Grimes McConahy. He filled that
position to the satisfaction of all concerned until after the close
of the war, when he was elected to the post of county auditor,
serving four years and eight months. On leaving office he
engaged in the grocery business, and continued that the rest of his
active life. He married Lucretia Baker, who was born in
Marion, Ohio, Dec. 10, 1830, a daughter of Charles and Mary
(Anderson) Baker. A very complete genealogy of the
Baker family has been prepared and published by Eber Baker.
Mrs. Grimes McConahy died Oct. 14, 1900, having reared seven
children.
Charles A. McConahy grew up in Van Wert from the
time he was four years of age, gained his education in the public
schools, and showing marked ability in that direction, he became a
draughtsman. For several years he was engaged in the business
of publishing town, city and county maps. In 1878 he
established a carriage business at the corner of Jefferson and
Jackson streets in Van Wert, and that was his business home for
twenty-five years. He was very successful, and after rearing
his family and securing an ample competence he retired.
On Oct. 28, 1874, Mr. McConahy married Miss
Mary Davenport, member of an old and prominent family in Ohio
and in the East. She was born in Belmont county, Ohio.
Her ancestry goes back in direct line to Abram Davenport, who
was the King's magistrate in Frederick County, Maryland, at the
outbreak of the Revolutionary war. His seven sons at once took
service in the Patriot armies, and fought valiantly for the cause of
independence. Mrs. McConahy's great grandfather was
John Davenport, who was born in Frederick County,
Maryland, moved from there to Berkeley County, Virginia, and married
Eleanor Harris. Judge John
Davenport, grandfather of Mrs. McConahy, was born
near Winchester, Virginia, and in 1815 moved to Ohio, settling in
Belmont county. He brought with him to slaves from Virginia,
gave then freedom on crossing the Ohio River, but many of them
refused to desert their beloved master and spent the rest of their
lives beloved master and spent the rest of their lives with him,
always ready to give him service. Judge Davenport
improved a large farm in Belmont County, and that was his home until
his death. He married Martha Coulson, who was born in
Maryland, and she died in Belmont County , Ohio. Of the nine
children reared by Judge Davenport and wife one,
Ellen Frances, who married William Hare, died at
Astoria, Oregon, at the remarkable age of one hundred and four
years.
Samuel Davenport, father of Mrs. McConahy,
was born in Belmont County in 1828 was a lawyer by profession and
training also active in journalism and as a teacher. For a
number of years he published the Bluffton Chronicle at Bluffton,
Indiana, at the end of time of his death was serving as
postmaster of that town. He died good forty-nine. His
wife was Caroline Gratigny, who was born in Monroe County,
Ohio, daughter of Louis and Desdemonia (Ford) Gratigny, the former a
native of France and the latter of Boston, Massachusetts.
Mrs. McConahy's mother died at the age of eighty years, having
spent her last days in Van Wert.
The four children of Mr. and Mrs. McConahy are
Florence, Coulson, Caroline and Grace. Florence
married Charles Kratzenberger. Coulson married
Delphia E. Newland. Caroline is the wife of
Adam O. Faulkner and has a daughter, Elizabeth.
Grace married Charles P. Reiniger and has a daughter,
Cecelia.
Source:
A History of Northwest Ohio, Publ. The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago
& New York, 1917 - Page 756 |
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