Person:William McCullough (15)

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Early Indiana McCullough History A Brief Sketch of the McCullough Family Prepared August 1927 - by Willis A. McCullough

The ancestry of the McCullough family is of the Scottish origin as shown by the name. The first part of the name, “Mac”, means son, “Cull” means foot, and “Lough”, means lake. Hence the origin and meaning of the name McCullough is “The Son at the Foot of the Lake” At present it is not definitely known when the first McCullough came to America, but the most reliable information indicates that three brothers came from and landed in Pennsylvania before the War in which America gained her independence from England. Two of the three brothers later made their way southward into the region of Virginia and eastern Tennessee. The other one of the three brothers made his way westward and some of his descendents are now found to be in North Central Indiana where one of his descendents who was a mill-wright finally located.

William McCullough is the first of our ancestor of whom we have definite information, and evidence indicates that originated from one of the two brothers that went southward from Pennsylvania. The similarity if the Christian names of the McCulloughs found in the different parts of the country helps to confirm the belief that all in America who bear the name originated from someone if the three brothers who landed in Pennsylvania in the very early part of the history of our country, although the are some modified forms of the spelling of the name. Scott’s spell “Cull” and “Coll” to mean “foot” and “Lough” or “Loch” to mean “Lake”.

William McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1796, and his wife Lavina Myers, was born in 1798. They were married in the year 1816, which was the year that Indiana became a state.

Our Federal Government purchased a large part of Indiana from the Indians in the year 1818. That tract included almost half the state and was located in the central part. That was the first purchase made in Indiana after Indiana became one of the states. The Indians were removed from the tract in 1820 and the government established a land office in the fall of 1821 and land was sold to the settlers as low as $1.25 per acre and the land was free from taxation for five years after purchasing. The state capital was located in Indianapolis in 1824. The above named conditions and the fact that the government made suitable provisions fir education were inducements which probably had much to do with William and Lavina (Myers) McCullough leaving Tennessee and making their way to Indiana, landing in the southwestern part of what in now Putnam County in the year 1829. [Click here to see one of William’s land grant documents (1837) in Adobe Acrobat© pdf format.]

When William came to Indiana there were no roads and immigrants found their way by following trails made by the Indians and the buffalos, or by the more reliable trail known as the “Whetzel Trail”. This was a trail marked out in 1819 by Jacob Whetzel, who blazed the trees thereby making a course from the southeastern part of Indiana to within about 20 miles if where Indianapolis now stands. The dangers that confronted immigrants from hostile Indians and wild animals also confronted William McCullough and his family as they came to their new home. The fact that the forests must be cleared in 1824 to lay out the streets in Indianapolis would emphasize the fact that William McCullough also faced the task of providing shelter for his family and clearing the forests and preparing the land for cultivation so as to provide for food. William McCullough knew the dangers from disease, which lurked in the low lands, so he naturally sought a location on some of the higher lands where he succeeded in rearing a family of sixteen children, all of whom reached maturity. The youngest of the sixteen children was nineteen when his father died and all reared families of their own except one. William McCullough in 1863 and Moses, the only child to die unmarried, followed him within a few days, having contracted pneumonia from exposure while attending the funeral of the father.

I. West, the oldest son of William and Lavina Myers McCullough, was born in Tennessee in 1819 and came with his parents to Indianapolis when he was ten years of age. He purchased a farm adjoining to the McCullough homestead, where he located and lived the remainder of his life. He was married in 1841 to Matilda Mills, who died about 1856. He later married Rachel Paul, who was better known by many of the present generation as “Aunt Rachel”. West McCullough died in 1876, leaving a family of nineteen children.

II. Michael McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1820 and came to Indiana with the family in 1829. He was married to Eliza J. Zenor in 1812, located in Putnam County for a short time, then purchased a quarter section of land in Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana where he lived until his death in 1873. He was unfortunate that he was deaf for a number of years.

III. Hyleigh McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1822, came to Indiana with the family, and married to Jesse Aker in 1840. Two children resulted from that marriage, Lemuel Aker and Nancy Ellen (Aker) Catterlin. After the death of Jesse Aker, Hyleigh married Nathaniel Modesitt and lived on a farm in Perry Township, Clay County, Indiana until her death in 1909.

IV. Thomas McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1823, was married to Lucretia Grable in 1843. He settled near the old homestead in Putnam County for a time, then purchased 120 acres of land in the center of Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana and lived there until his death in 1894.

V. Alexander McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1824. He was married to Mary Payne, daughter of Robert Payne about the year 1850. He brought a large farm in the eastern part of Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, on which he settled and lived until his death, which occurred in 1902.

VI. Eleanor McCullough, better known as “Aunt Nellie”, was born in Tennessee in 1826. She was married to Bennett Payne, son of Robert Payne, about the year 1850. They settled for a short time near the old homestead in Putnam County, then purchased a farm in the eastern part of Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, and lived there until her death in 1897.

VII. Nancy McCullough was born in Tennessee in 1828, and married Jacob Mace in 18__. They bought a farm in Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, north of Asherville, where they lived for a short time. They sold the farm to Uncle Bill McCullough, and bought a farm in Harrison Township, Clay County, Indiana, north of Clay City. Jacob went to the war and gave his life helping to preserve the Union of our States. Nancy later married Nathaniel Cooperider, and then moved to Kansas, where she died in 18__.

VIII. William McCullough, known to this generation as “Uncle Bill” was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 130. He married Elizabeth Mace, bought 80 acres of land in Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, adjoining the farm of his brother Michael. Later he sold this farm to a coal speculator, named Jennings and bought a farm in Putnam County, consisting chiefly of Eel River bottom land, where he located and lived until his death, which occurred in 1903.

IX. James McCullough was born in 1832. It is not established whether he was born in Putnam County, Indiana or in Tennessee, as the parents made a trip back to the old home in Tennessee about that date. James McCullough married Mary Ann Mace, Daughter of Nicholas Mace, and a distant relative of Uncle Bill’s wife, purchased a farm in Putnam County, Indiana, near the old homestead where he lived for the remainder of his life. He died in 1914.

X. Francis McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1834. He was married to Amanda mace, daughter of Nicholas Mace, settled on the old homestead for a short time, moved to Illinois and later went on to Oregon, where he died in _____.

XI. Jacob Newton McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1836, and was married to Elizabeth Jane Mace, daughter of Nicholas Mace. He settled near the old homestead and lived there until after the death of his wife. Later he moved to Missouri and then to Arkansas. he died at Lone Oak, Arkansas, in ______.

XII. Lavina McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1838, and was married to John Syester in 1856. They first settled near the old homestead, but soon moved to a farm in Parke County, Indiana. Later they moved to Terre Haute, Indiana and then to Brazil, Indiana, where she died in 1897

XIII. Moses McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1839. He contracted pneumonia from exposure at the funeral of his father in 1863 and died within a few days, being the first if the family of sixteen children to die and the only one who was unmarried.

XIV. Matilda McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1841. She was married to Oliver B. Johnson in 1863, and located on a farm, which they bought in the eastern part of Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, where she resided until her death in 1918.

XV. Samuel McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1843, and was married to Sarah Nees in 1863. He settled near the old homestead in Putnam County, Indiana for a short time and then purchased a farm in the southern part of Clay County, near Saline City, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He died about 1877.

XVI. Joseph Wright McCullough was born in Putnam County, Indiana in 1844. He was married to Sarah Caroline Cromwell, daughter of Owen Cromwell, lived for a short time near the old homestead and then located in the southern part of Clay County, near Brunswick, where Aunt Sarah died. He later married Catherine Myers, bought the Myers homestead in Putnam County, Indiana, moved to it and lived there until the death of Aunt Catherine. He then sold the farm to his eldest son, Oather, and married Caroline Maurer, and moved to her farm in Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana, where he lived until his death March 29, 1917.

My Great Great Great Grandfather- WILLIAM MCCULLOUGH was born in Tennessee on September 11, 1796 and migrated to the south west part of Washington Township, Putnam County, Indiana in 1828. He was the First Known McCullough in Indiana. William married Lavina (Myers) McCullough born July 7, 1798 and had 16 children as follows: West b.1-15-1819, d. 8-18-1876, Michael b. 7-2-1820, d. 12-27-1875, Hyliegh b. 1-26-1822, d. 1909, Thomas J. b. 2-4-1823, d. 12-14-1894, Alexander b. 4-22-1824, d. 2-8-1902, Elenor b. 10-11-1826, d. 7-24-1897, Nancy 9-6-1828, d. 3-10-1902, William b. 6-30-1830, d. 2-23-1903, James b. 5-13-1832, d. 2-23-1914, Francis Marion b. 6-1-1834, d. ? Jacob Newton b. 5-3-1836, d. ?, Lavina b. 6-9-1838, d. 1897, Moses b. 8-31-1839, d. 1863, Matilda b. 5-18-1841, d. 1918, Samuel b. 2-18-1843, d. 1878, Joseph Wright b. 7-17-1844, d. 3-29-1917.

From : A HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, by William Travis, 1909 My Great Great Grandfather- WEST MCCULLOUGH was a native of Bullsgap Tennessee, born in 1818 and died in 1876. His wife Matilda (Mills) McCullough was born in North Carolina and died September, 1855, aged thirty-four years. They were united in marriage in Putnam county near Webster Mills and were the parents of eight children as follows: Levina, William Henry, Newton A., Vincent, Marion, John T., Millard, and Franklin. After the death of Mr. McCullough’s first wife he married Rachel J. Paul at Railsville, Putnam County, Indiana, by which into the union ten children were born as follows: Albert, Perry, Martha, Jane, Lee Nelson, Riley, and Eliza. West McCullough came to Indiana in 1928 with his parents who located in Putnam County. They returned to Tennessee, however and spent one year and then returned, making the journey by wagon. He grew to manhood in Putnam County

and entered government land, first building a log cabin in which his son William Henry, was born. Later he erected a large two story house. This farm contained about seven hundred acres and at the time of Mr. McCullough’s death, he was one of the prominent men of his county. Politically, he was a Jackson Democrat.My Great Grandfather- MARION MCCULLOUGH numbered among the successful agriculturists of Perry Township, Clay County, Indiana, was Marion McCullough, a man of industry, thrift and enterprise, whose general worth impresses those whom he comes in contact very strongly. A native of Putnam County, Indiana, being the fourth son in succession of birth of West and Matilda (Mills) McCullough. Reared and educated in his native township, Mr. McCullough remained with his parents until his marriage. Coming then to Clay County he lived for two years in Cass Township. On April 25, 1873, he bought one hundred and ten acres, a log house and a pole barn constituted the only improvements. Laboring with characteristic energy and ambition he cleared a large part of the place, and lived there until March 4, 1886. Selling out at that time, Mr. McCullough bought his farm in Section 3, Perry Township, and was busily employed in tilling the soil, having his one hundred and twenty acres of land in excellent yielding condition. His annual harvest were most satisfactory in quantity and quality. He and his family occupied the log house which stood upon the place when he bought it until November, 1903, when they moved into the substantial and conveniently arranged frame house which he built. He carried on general farming and stock-raising, in both branches of which he found signal success. On February 5, 1871, Mr. McCullough married Nancy C. Mace, who was born August 14, 1852, in Cass Township, Clay County. her father, Issac Mace, came from Tennessee, his native state, to Indiana, bought timbered land in Cass township, and was there engaged in tilling the soil until his death about 1856, at the age of fifty-two years. His wife whose name was Delaney Akre, survived him about a year. The Maces had nine children. Mr. and Mrs. McCullough have reared six children, namely Laura, Gildert, Franklin, Seth, Mack and Gladys. Politically Mr. McCullough supported the principles of the Democratic party at the polls were esteemed members of the Christian Church.