| Notes |
- Thomas James McClure photo owned by Brenda Webb, taken in McClure, Illinois
Thomas James was supposed to have left home because he did not get along with his step-mother .
BIRTH:
1. Copied by Ruth and Frank McClure of Bruceville, Indiana, McClure,Ill cemetery Records. Cemetery Records give a birth date of 1 Sep 1823 k. 23 Aug 1918.
DEATH:
2. Copied by Ruth and Frank McClure of Bruceville, Indiana, McClure,Ill cemetery Records.
3. BIRTH: 23 Sep 1823, Boonville, Missouri DEATH: 23 Aug 1882, Thebeshttp://www.google.com/search?q=cache:iQxLozvpJTY:hostville.com/family/gen1/d0069/g0000044.html+thomas+mcclure&hl=e n
CENSUS RECORDS:
......1880Census Place: Elco, Alexander County, Illinois: Page 154D:
McClure, T. J., age 55, VA Farmer
McClure, Caroline, age 46, IL, Keeping House
McClure, C. S., age 18, IL
McClure, T. J., age 16, IL
McClure, C. W., age 9, IL
Finnily, J. J., Son-in-Law, age 23, IL, VA, IL, Miller
Finnily, Jennie, Daughter, age 23, IL, VA, IL, At Home
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THOMAS JAMES McCLURE
Thomas James McClure born in Boonville, MO, Sept. 8, 1823, a son of James McClure, a farmer and stock raiser of Cooper County. In his youth he attended some school. T. J. left his father when about 16 to start life on his own. He went to New Orleans, LA where he remained two years as a wharf clerk. He, then came to Alexander county in Illinois, where he worked for his Uncle Matthew McClure in the mercantile business. After about three years T. J. went on his own again and "batched it" for two years on a 20 acre farm he rented. Having slightly improved his circumstances he wedded Miss Mary(Polly) Phillips Aug. 12, 1847. Polly and T. J . had two children, Mary born Oct. 24, 1850. Apparently Polly died of childbirth with the second child. Have no record of Polly or the child's death.
T. J. McClure after Polly's death married Caroline Virginia Overby Feb. 24, 1853. Caroline was born Apr 29, 1833 in Mecklenburg Co., VA, the daughter of Ahab Henry Overby and Susan Toone. So the story goes,Caroline Virginia was born on the North Carolina and Virginia line ,hence the name. There have been Caroline's and Virginia's every generation since then.
In 1868 T. J. and Caroline went to Wheatland, IL, now McClure,where they built the only two story log cabin in the area. It apparently had two or three rooms downstairs with the " dog-trot" in the center and three to four sleeping rooms upstairs. Quite a large log house for that day and time. The log house is still there under the disguise of yellow framing and several rooms larger with a long screen porch on the front. The last owners were Levi and Clara Lightner, known to many people in the area.
T. J. and his wife Caroline had planned to build a large brickhouse in Wheatland, IL. T . J. died before the house was completed. Caroline being a business-minded woman had the house completed and paid for it with T. J.'s life insurance money. No definite date can be found on the building.
T. J. died Aug. 23, 1882 in Wheatland, and Caroline died Aug. 14,1918; both are buried on top of the hill in what was the beginning of a family cemetery plot. So the story goes, T . J. wanted to be buried where he could watch over his land holdings in the bottoms.
THOMAS JAMES McCLURE CHILDREN
T. J. McClure and Caroline Virginia Overby were the parents of six children, five of which were born in Thebes, Alexander, Illinois.They are:
Logan, born Sept. 27, 1854, died Nov. 19, 1854, at age two months, but do not know cause of death; he is buried in Thebes, IL.
Virginia Alice, born Feb. 23, 1856, died Mar. 10, 1937, and is buried in McClure, IL. She was called Virginia by few but fondly known as "Aunt Jen" or Jennie by many. She is written about by her granddaughters Caroline Foster, Virginia Ford and Betty Johnson of Tampa, FL and grandson Tom T. Omohundro of Mesa, AZ.
Henry Clay, born Apr. 28, 1858, died Aug. 30, 1879, is buried in Thebes, IL. Clay, as he was known, drowned at age 20 while riding his horse through the high waters of Clear Creek. He was known to be an excellent rider and swimmer and very cautious, so this fatal accident came as a shock to family and friends. A log hit the horse and knocked it from under Clay and they both drown.
Caroline Susan, born Oct. 18, 1860 and died Apr. 15, 1956, is buried in McClure. She was fondly called Cad, Caddie or Aunt Cad by many. She is written by her two grandsons Charles Henry (Chuck) Rohe of Orlando, FL and William Thomas (Bill) Rohe of Athens, Greece.
James Thomas, born Nov. 8, 1863, died July 14, 1946 is buried in McClure. he was called Tom but generally called "Uncle Tom", is written by his only grandchild Caroline McClure Smith Webb of McClure, IL.
Claude Wilburn, born Feb. 5, 1871 or Oct. 5, 1870 and died Feb. or Oct. 8, 1947 is buried in McClure family plot. He is written by his only living daughter Gladys McClure of Great Neck , NY. Claude and J.T. were both born in the log home in Wheatland.
One may have noticed in Father and Son rather than a Junior the names were reversed. Asa matter of interest and record McClure had more than one name. Clear Creek was the first area settled, and the name came from the creek which followed the edge of the hills and a water passage to the Mississippi River. What is now McClure was called Wheatland for the vast acres of wheat grown in the bottoms. J.T. wrote to the post office department to change the name as there is a Wheaton in northern Illinois, close to Chicago and there were mail mixups. The name was changed in the 1890's.
Alexander County, Illinois - Volume 1: 1989
History and Families
977.3999 H2ac
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More About THOMAS JAMES MCCLURE:
Burial: Family Cemetery Plot, Wheatland, Alexander County, Illinois
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RNT Family History
1824 - 1882 (57 years)
