Gilbert, Frank T.  "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and
Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon."
Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a24.
 
JAMES C. McCOY

     James and Nancy (Nolen) McCoy, parents of the subject of this sketch, were
both natives of Kentucky, and moved to Henry county, Iowa, in an early day,
where James C. was born on the ninth of September, 1836.  The family soon
afterwards moved to Dekalb county, Mo., and ten years later to Eastern Texas,
finally settling in Johnson county the western portion of that state in 1851.
Here James worked at farming, blacksmithing, masonry, and other occupations till
the fall of 1866.  In 1861 he married Margaret Ledbetter.  His father and one
brother having been killed by the Indians, and his mother having died, he went
back to Missouri in 1866.  In 1868, with four brothers and their families and
one sister, he came overland to Washington Territory.  After spending the winter
at Walla Walla, James opened a blacksmith shop on the Touchet just below the
site of Dayton.  A year later he removed it to Copei creek.  A year afterwards
he sold out and took a logging contract for a season, and the next year raised a
crop on rented land just below Dayton.  He then operated a saw-mill on Walla
Walla river six months, after which he had a blacksmith shop at Milton, Oregon,
about a year.  In 1875 he put up a shingle mill on the south or west fork of the
Touchet, twelve miles south of Dayton.  This mill he operated constantly until
it was destroyed by fire in July, 1882.  A view of the old mill is given on
another page.  Mr. McCoy is rebuilding near the site of the old mill, and will
soon be in running order again.  He makes about 15,000 shingles per day, the
greatest quantity turned out in one day being 23, 000.  Since last spring he has
resided on a farm of 160 acres, owned by him four miles south of Dayton.  To his
energy and capacity Mr. McCoy owes all his success since arriving, a poor man,
in the undeveloped region he has helped to build up.  His children are, Mary A.,
James W., George N. and Nancy E., twins, Clara M., Andrew, Franklin, Mason S.,
Maud M., Viola, and Rosa.  Nancy E. died in Walla Walla, in 1868, when quite
young; the others are all living.

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Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in August 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.