McDonough ILGenWeb

McELVAIN, Oscar M., one of the most widely known farmers and stock-raisers in his portion of .McDonough County, Ill., was born in that county November 7, 1852, a son of Henry H. and Latitia (Cox) McElvain, the former of whom was born in Marion County, Ohio, and the latter in the State of Kentucky. The paternal grandfather, George McElvain, was a native of Pennsylvania, and the maiden name of his wife was Rawles. The maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Elizabeth (Kroom) Cox, were natives of Pennsylvania. Henry H. McElvain went from Ohio to Michigan and came from Michigan to Illinois in 1848, settling in McDonough County. His wife died February 5, 1895, and was buried in Bushnell. After his wife's death he lived with his son, Oscar M., until the fall of 1895, when he went to Bushnell to live with his sister.

Oscar M. McElvain is the eldest of three children born to his parents, and came to his present place when he was three years of age. He attended the public school in his boyhood and also pursued a course of study in Abingdon College, remaining under the parental roof until the removal of his father to Bushnell. He owns the homestead farm of eighty acres, and also has land in Walnut Grove Township. In 18S5, together with his father, he began breeding Polled Angus cattle, being the first to raise this breed in the township. Mr. McElvain has an experimental fruit station on his farm for the Central Illinois district, comprising three acres.

On December 20, 1882, the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Mianna Stickle, who was born in McDonough County, and received her education in the public and normal schools of Indianapolis. Four children have blessed this union, namely: Bessie M., Ethlyn M., Clarice S. and Oscar M., Jr. The religious connection of Mr. McElvain is with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, he upholds the principles of the Prohibition party. Fraternally, he is identified with the I. O. O. F. Mr. McElvain is ranked as one of the best informed and most progressive farmers in this portion of McDonough County.

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Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, pages 950-951, extracted 12 Sep 2019 by Norma Hass.