The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-10-07
Ee ciroasatson Of the Daily Press is larger
than that Of any other daily in the city.
rERMs.-s6.o0 a yeer II paid teishinthree months
from the date Of subscription, 500 at the end Of
the year.
William Mcclellan.

three women still older. For more than sixty
years Mr. Mcclellan has moved continually in
our streets quiet, industrious and exemplary
citizen, always engagedin some useful occupa-
tion. When the Rev. Mr.. Kellogg, in 1901,
completed his long range OF brick buildings
on the Western side of Fish, now Exchange ST.
called Jones' Row, from a former owner
Of the land, Mr.. Mcclellan was one of the first
occupants, as the keeper of general variety
store, according to the custom of that day.
Any articles or NOTIONS which could not be
found in his store, might fairly be considered
as not worth having. Jones' Row was at
that time the finest block of buildings in the
State; a very spacious store at the corner OF
Fore and Fish Sts., was first occupied by Ste
phen Mcclellan and WIN. Browne, large i'm
porters of foreign goods, who carried on an
extensive business. The old "Maine Bank"
the first in the State, was established in the
upper end of the block. The intermediate
stores were occupied in various kinds of bust
ness by men, all Of whom, filling large places
In our commercial community, have long since
closed their books and gone to their final reck-
oning, with two exceptions, Mr.. Mcclellan now
Just left us, and Elias Thomas, our next oldest
citizen, who happily still bears the weight of
over 90 years, with buoyant, cheerful and Sc
rene mind. Mr. Mcclellan after trading about
q quarter of a century in Exchange St., moved
to one-story wooden building in the front
yard OF the Goldman House, near the corner of
Temple and Middle SITS. He soon after Joined
Nessrs. Dorrance, Rogers, Gore and others in
purchasing that lot, and erecting the fine
granite block now standing upon it, into the
corner store OF which he transferred his bust
ness, not abating its variety from two-penny
whistle or a razor strop, to a superine broad
CLOTH But times changed, and the modes of
business out-run Mr.. McLellan's ideas. His
old-fashioned notions could not keep up with
the new customs which were introduced, and
he dropped ont Of the fashionable and expen-
siye street into an humble by-way of the
town, where the latter period of his lie was
passed among his flowers asd shrubs, which
he cultivated to the last, and in such honest
and steady employment-neverid le-as suit
ed his advanced years.
Mr. Mcclellan was born In Gorham, Maine,
May 7th, I'LL. His first American ancestor
was Hugh Mcclellan who immigrated to this
country from the county of Antrim in Ireland,
in the early part of the last century. He was
of the race OF the sturdy Scotch coyenanters,
who sought refuge in Ireland from the perse-
cutions of the bigoted Stuarts, and the iron
heels of the troopers of Claverhouse. This an
a,-et 10 pnetnn hon ad n,
Wells in Maine, and then to Falmouth, now
Portland. He came here with his wife and
five children and one COW. AN their worldly
gear they brought on one horse, and set them
selves down in a small house near the head of
Federal street about 1740. They soon after
Almshouse, now occupied by Jeremiah Dow,
and thence to Gorham, where their first resi-
dence was log house among the early set
tiers of the town. Here, with true Scotch
thrift and Irish toll and economy, they accu-
INFLATED handsome property, and even before
the Revolution moved into their o~n we'll
furnished brick house, the first erected in that
town or the county. Their daughter Mary, in
1850, married Joseph Mcclellan of this town,
son of Bryce, one OF the most extensive and
enterprising merchants which our place afford
ed during the latter part of the last century
and the early part of the present. Abortion
OF the dowry on this occasion were the frame
and the materials of dweing-house brought
from Gorham by Hugh Mcclellan, which he
erected into hab;tation for his son-in-law,
Joseph Mcclellan, on Main, now Congress,
street, in 1855. Here Joseph lived and died
the building still remains in two detached
houses opposite the new Mechanics Hall, after
weathering the storms OF more than ahundred
years.
The subject of our notice was the son OF
Alexander, the son of Hugh. He had four
brothers and three sisters. Ha came to
Portland in 1900, his elder brother Isaac hav-
ing preceded him. Isaac engaged largely in
commercial operations Portland was too small
sphere for him and he removed to Boston,
where he died wealthy and respected at the age
oil so in 1850. The wife of the first Hugh the
grandmother of William, died in 1904 at the
age Of 90; and many others of the race lived
to protracted old age, the result of good hab-
ib1s iuOucThtc dSplldtiuis uuu tHc Stcduy pui-
suit Of honest, well requited toll.
Mr.. Mcclellan, in 1795, married Sarah,
daughter of Col. Esaias Preble of York, and
sister Of the late Judge Preble, by whom he
had two soma and three daughters-the sons
died early two daughters still survive, Irene
married TO Seward Buchanan of Eastport, in
1926, and Sarah Elizabeth married to Samuel
p. Baker Of this city, in 1881.
There were two branches of the Mcclellan
family, distantly related, which migrated to
this place before the middle of the last CEN
tnry from the north of ireland; one headed by
Hugh, of whom we have been speaking, the
other by Bryce. The latter was weaver by
trade, settled first at Cape Elizabeth, but who
before the revolution, established himself in
this town, having his residence in house still
standing near.the corner of York and High
streets. He was the father Of Joseph noticed
above, and of Capt. William the grandfather
Of our present Mayor. He, Bryce, was also
the grandfather of Capt. Arthur Mcclellan,
former wealthy merchant of our city. Both
branches of this vigorous and enterprising
race. have exercised an important influence
upon the commercial, agricultural and indus
trial affairs of our city and country for many
years and are entitled to the commentator of
agrsteful community.
al fact l..