James M McMillen
JAMES M. McMILLEN, a well-known and highly respected farmer of Mahoning township, Armstrong county, was born in Porter township, Clarion Co., Pa., Feb. 9, 1850, son of Robert and Nancy (Moore) McMillen.John McMillen, his paternal grandfather, was born April 4, 1757, and died Dec. 7, 1837. His wife Jane Calhoon was born Sept. 22, 1773, and died March 18, 1850. They were the parents of ten children: Mary married John Cochran; Jeannette married Richard Beatty; Nancy married John Girts; John married Sarah Maxwell; William married Jane Moore; Margaret married Harmon Girts; Martha married Joseph Watterson; Robert married Nancy Moore; Wilson married Mary Maxwell; Elizabeth C. married Isaac McMillan (no relation).
Robert McMillen, son of John, was born Aug. 22, 1811. In early manhood he came from Westmoreland county to Clarion county, and settled on a tract of 400 acres near New Bethlehem, now owned by the Canton Hollow Brick & Tile Company. He aided his parents in clearing up a part of this tract, and in 1851 sold it to William Henry, and removed to Mahoning township, where he located on the farm now owned by his son James M. This farm comprised fifty-two acres of land, and is on the hill about one and a half mile south of New Bethlehem, on the road from there to Putneyville. Here his death occcurred Sept. 7, 1884. Mr. McMillen married Nancy Moore, who was born Feb. 2, 1819, in County Derry, Ireland, and died June 24, 1896. She was the daughter of William Moore, born in 1779, in County Derry, Ireland, who died Dec. 5, 1867, aged eighty-eight years. Mr Moore was an early settler of what is now Clarion county, and was a farmer by occupation. His wife was Mary Downs, born in 1782, died in 1832.
Robert McMillen and his wife , Nancy, were the parents of ten children, viz: William, deceased; Elizabeth Jane, deceased wife of John A. Humphreys; Lovina, deceased wife of Jacob Philips; Amos M., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work; John C., who married Margaret Cox, and both are deceased (they had one daughter Lillian P., of Pittsburgh, Pa.) ; Lucinda, deceased; James M., on the homestead; Craig H., deceased; Mary C., wife of George McDonald; and Adoniram J. of Kittanning, Pennsylvania.
James M. McMillen grew up on the homestead which has always been his home. He obtained his education in the local schools of Mahoning township and worked at the carpenter's tradewith his brother Amos M. for twenty years. After the death of his father he purchased the interest of the other heirs in the homestead, and has since been engaged in farming there. He is progressive and up-to-date in his methods and on his farm has sucessfully grown the strawberry and other small fruits, in addition to the regular farm crops. Mr. McMillen is a member of New Bethlehem Lodge, No. 725, I.O.O.F., and in politics he is a Republican. He has served as assessor of MAhoning township for four years.
Source: Pages 744-745, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed October 1998 by Rodney G Rosborough for the Armstrong County Beers Project
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