The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-08-13
Death of William Mcclellan.

In Greeley, Col, July 10Th, the sub
ject of this sketch passed away at the
advanced age of 80 years. He was {
native Of Skowhegan, an uncle Of
John R. Mcclellan, and is well rem.
embered by many of our people.
The following biographical sketch
is taken from the Greeley paper:
William Mcclellan, the Oldest man
in Weld county, save one, a pioneer
of three states, who was identified
with the early settlement of this com
munity as an original Union Colonist,
who established the first stock farm
in this county and who was line al
descendent of Peregrine White, the
first white child born In New England,
died yesterday afternoon between the
hours of six and seven O'Clock at the
home of his son, W. R. Mcclellan,
1922 Eleventh street.
On Sunday, the sixteenth day OF
February, the aged man in getting out
of bed, sustained fracture of his hip.
His death was almost hourly expected
after the accident but he chung to
life with much tenacity, at the same
time keeping possession of his keen
mental faculties, with a power that
surprised his physicians and showed
him to have a most remarkable and
vigorous constitution. AS he became
little stronger he talked about get
ting well and to within few hours of
his death was perfectly conscious of
all that was going on about him, but
he hnH 6xy NJ.
long confinement and the record of a
long and useful life was ended almost
impe rceptibly as the evening shad-
ows heightened into the night.
William Mcclellan was born in
Skowhegan, Maine, May II, 1915. His
father was Judge Judah Mcclellan, an
eminent jurist and the son was given
the best education that his state and
day afforded The father wished his
son to follow the profession of law but
it was evident from the first that the
young man had liking for mercan-
tile pursuits into which he entered al
most before his school days were fin-
ished and in which he continued sue
cessfully for ten years.
Then it was that the great west, in
the valley of the Mississippi river, at
tracted the adventurous and William
Mcclellan was among the first to
make the long Journey to the new land
in which he saw great possibilities.
He located near Geneseo, Ill.,, where
he purchased several thousand acres
of land. He cleared the land, titled it
and cultivated it with the result that
he sold it all, with the exception of
one thousand acres at good figure.
Shrewdly seeing that lumber was
needed to build houses for the new
communities he went into the then al
most unknown lumber regions of Wis
consin and purchased 1900 acres of
cumberland, built saw mills and start
ed one of the first lumber industries
in the northwest. Then came the
panic of 1857 in which Mr.. Mcclellan
was involved with many others. He
decided his timber property to his
father and saved it from financial ruin
and then he went back to Illinois, Gull
tivated his farms and paid to penny,
with interest, every cent of his in
debtedness, an incident which shows
the general integrity of the man who
to the day of his death made his word
as good as his bond.
But he prospered and the lumber
industry brought him large returns
and he added stock raising to farm
ing.
A reader of the New York Tribune,
and an admirer of Horace Greeley he
became interested in Union Colony
and the settlement of Greeley and de-