David McConnell

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Mcc&GSiman=1&...

Fowler Benton Review - Fowler, Indiana - Oct 23 1884:

Judge David McConnell, the oldest man in Benton county and one of the best citizens, died at his residence at Oxford after a brief illness last Tuesday. In the history of Benton county we find the following:

Judge David McConnell was born in Ohio county, W. Va., Nov. 1,1792, and was the third of twelve children born to Hugh and Elizabeth McConnell, the former a native of Delaware, the latter of Pennsylvania, and of Scotch and Irish descent respectively. When young Hugh removed to Virginia where he married and engaged !n farming until 1801, when be removed to Ross county, Ohio, where he farmed on shares, on land owned by Geo. Massey, for several years. He then went to Highland county, Ohio, where he resided some fifteen years. In 1828 he came to Fountain county, Ind., where he died in 1835. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary war, serving through the whole struggle, and immediately afterward in a war with the Indians, by whom he was severely wounded in a battle near Wheeling. W. Va. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. David McConnell received a fair education in the log school house of his youth. In 1812 he enlisted in Col. Kay's regiment, and served under Gen. Harrison until the close of the war. He then engaged in farming in Highland county, Ohio, until 1822 when he removed to Adams Co, Ohio, where he was married. In the spring of 1831, he came to Warren Co., Ind,. remaining until 1835, when he came to Oak Grove township, Benton Co,, where he entered 200 acres of land upon which he erected a log cabin, and subsequently improved the farm, and has lived there ever since. He added to his farm until he owned 560 acres. The first and second additions to the town of Oxford were laid out on a part of his farm. He was a Justice of the Peace for a term in Warren Co., Associate Judge of Warren and Benton Co's. for some ten years, afterwards Probate Judge in Benton and Jasper Co's. for two years, and later Associate Judge in Benton Co. for two years. In the winters of 1843-44 and 1848-49, he represented Benton, Jasper, White and Pulaski counties in the Lower House of the State Legislature. Mr. McConnell is a Democrat and has never been defeated for any office tor which he was a candidate, and was twice appointed district Marshal by the Governor. He was first married in 1822 to Miss Polly Moore, a native of Adams Co , Ohio. To this union eleven children were born, ten of whom are now living. Mrs. P. McConnell died in 1846 and in 1852 he married Mrs. Sarah Blanchfil, a native of Ireland. They have no children, but Mrs. McConnell has two children by her former marriage. Mr. McConnell is not a member of any church. He is one of the oldest pioneers and most prominent citizens in Benton county.

Goshen Daily News - Goshen, Indiana - Oct 23 1884:

Judge David McConnell died Tuesday at his residence in Oxford, Ind., aged ninety-two.

1906 book PROGRESS of EDUCATION IN BENTON COUNTY INDIANA:

The first county school official of Benton county was David McConnell who was appointed Seminary Trustee by the county commissioners on September 7, 1840. It was the duty of this officer to take charge of all fines collected and invest them with a view of building a county seminary in which pupils from the township schools could pursue higher branches of study. The best evidence seems to make Isaac B. Wiggins and George Wiggins the founders of this fund, the latter donating three dollars and the former one cent as "fines for breaking penal laws." This fund grew slowly, the fines being quite small, usually about three dollars for betting on horse races, two for selling liquor without license, two for profane swearing, and from one cent to one dollar for fighting. The funds were collected by court officials, and by them paid to the county treasurer, whose duty it was to deliver them to the Seminary Trustee and make a report of the same to the county commissioners. No clerk of the court or county treasurer seems to have made any report previous to 1848, at which time both of these officials were indicted and arrested for "official negligence" and fined twenty dollars each. When the law of 1852 abolished this fund and transferred it to the common schools, but $135 had been collected n the county. Mr. McConnell's successors in office were Samuel Robertson, James F. Parker and Thomas Lewis.

From the 1876 book "Benton County: Her Organization and Early History", page 5:

In the spring of 1836, Judge David McConnell and his family moved to White Oak Grove, and erected a little house near his present residence, and has resided upon the farm he first settled on from that date down to the present time.

- - -- - - - - - - - - - -

David McConnell married Sarah Blanchfill on October 7 1852, in Benton, Indiana.