McCaskeyFamily

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Harrison McCaskey

Harrison Armstrong Kirk McCaskey was my great-grandfather. He was born December 25, 1833 in Ohio and married Elsie D. Ritter of  Stark County Ohio, May 17, 1860 in Albion, Indiana. The McCaskey family established itself in Boone County, Iowa in 1863 and many family members can still be found there today.
Harrison was the son of  John McCaskey born February 09, 1790 and Nancy Chambers of Pennsylvania. They married May 17, 1817. John died January 23, 1863 and is buried in Noble County, Indiana. Nancy died September 25, 1886 and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Boone County, Iowa.

      Harrison McCaskey                                              Elsie Ritter McCaskey

From the Ogden Reporter, Boone County, Iowa  March 2, 1977
Original Purchase: 80 Acres, Log Cabin for $800 by Linda Williamson
Gwendolyn (Dennie) Doran of Boone is the owner of a 200 acre Century Farm located three miles north of Ogden.
The farm came into her family when Harrison A. McCaskey, her grandfather, came to Ogden in 1863. He and some of his brothers homesteaded in Yell Township, buying an 80 acre tract for $800. A log cabin came with the land which Harrison and wife Elsie lived in for 12 years.
"The History of Boone County" states, "Harrison McCaskey was one of the early settlers of Boone County and was widely known as Doc McCaskey."
In the next 10 years the farm grew to 200 acres and was called Maple Shade Stock Farm. McCaskey was a breeder of Percheron horses, fast trotting draft horses, and was nicknamed Doc because he would doctor his own horses, and many of his neighbors' horses as well.
Harrison and Elsie had 12 children, Lincoln, Clinton, Ellen Rinehart, Mary Rinehart, Orlo B., Harrison, Frank, Sheldon, Charley, Martin, Etelka Williams (Gwendolyn's mother), and Esther, who died in infancy.
An interesting story is told about Harrison, who shot the last buffaloin this area, This account came from the Boone paper as told by one of his sons.
"Father McCaskey killed the last buffalo to fall before the pioneers' guns in that region in the spring of 1863 and witnessed from some distance a fight between a band of Sioux Indians and Pottawattamies.
Father and his brothers found plenty of buffalo and deer and other game on the prairies and in the timber along the Des Moines River when they first came to Iowa. Many of the wild animals perished during the winter of 1856, one of the worst winters known to the pioneers.
One day in the spring of 1863 when the men were doing their spring plowing, a herd of buffalo was observed to the south of the McCaskey homestead traveling slowly westward. One of the animals, a fine specimen, apparently attracted by some cows on the McCaskey farm, left the herd and approached the farm, which was without fences. Father immediately unhitched and rode back to the barn where he saddled one of the horses, secured gun and ammunition and set out to obtain a supply of buffalo meat.
They followed the buffalo and let him wander awhile until he reached a point which is now part of Ogden, where the Community United Methodist Church is presently located. He and his brothers stopped, closed in on the buffalo and Harrison fired two shots, the second piercing the buffalo's heart.
"
Harrison built a home on the farm in 1875. "The History of Boone County" says, "He purchased at different times several farms and became an extensive landowner but continued to make his residence upon Maple Shade Stock Farm until his removal to the village of Ogden in 1896". McCaskey died in 1900 at the age of 67 and owned 700 acres of land at the time of his death.
Grandmother Elsie McCaskey owned the land until 1924 when she died at the age of 84.
Harrison's daughter Etelka had four children: Gwendolyn Doran, Furmage Erickson, Urcyl Williams, and Joan Williams.
Grandmother McCaskey left equal shares of the land to her children and Gwendolyn bought the farn in 1940.
Gwendolyn and Al Doran have one daughter, Lynn Baker, and two grandchildren, James and Deborah.
Years ago Al Doran removed the door from Grandfather McCaskey's abandoned outhouse which was made from a 16" slab of walnut and after storing it in the attic for 30 years he fashioned it into a piece of furniture, an end table in their living room. Not  too many tables have such an interesting past.

Children of Harrison McCaskey and Elsie Ritter are:
1 i. Lincoln McCaskey, born April 01, 1861 in Leigoner, Noble County, Indiana; died May 21, 1946 in Boone County Hospital, Boone Iowa; married Mary J. Pugsley March 25, 1884.
  ii. Clinton McCaskey, born February 19, 1863 in Legionier, Noble County, Indiana; died October 20, 1926 in Yell Township, Boone County, Iowa; married (1) Margaret Bielfeldt May 03, 1891 in Boone County , Iowa; born January 29, 1869 in Boone County , Iowa; died December 08, 1907 in Boone County , Iowa; married (2) Anna L. Moravetz February 19, 1919; born April 09, 1871 in Yell Township, Boone County, Iowa; died June 10, 1938 in Nevada, Story County, Iowa.
  iii. Ellen McCaskey, born August 14, 1865 in Boone County ,  Iowa; died November 13, 1937 in Story County, Iowa; married Martin Luther Rinehart April 19, 1891 in Boone County, Iowa; born October 26, 1860 in Winnebago County, Illinois; died March 29, 1931 in Story County, Iowa.
  iv. Mary Alma McCaskey, born June 01, 1867 in Boone County ,  Iowa; died December 28, 1957 in Portland, Oregon; married George Samuel Rinehart September 01, 1887 in Boone County, Iowa; born September 28, 1862 in Carroll County, Illinois; died May 20, 1960 in Portland, Oregon.
  v. Orlo Baker McCaskey, born February 03, 1869 in Boone County,  Iowa; died January 05, 1959 in Boone County,  Iowa; married Ella H. Hansen January 11, 1899 in Hancock County, Iowa; born June 13, 1879 in West Rutland, Vermont; died January 04, 1960 in Boone County,  Iowa.
  vi. Harrison Armstrong McCaskey, born October 20, 1870 in Boone County ,  Boone Iowa; died August 11, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois; married Rose Antonette Rau June 27, 1917; born April 1890; died October 1944.
  vii. Franklin Orr McCaskey,
(my grand-father) born November 29, 1872 in Ogden, Boone County, Iowa; died November 15, 1959 in Rainier,Oregon; married Virgie Prichard February 22, 1907; born May 07, 1886 in Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky; died September 06, 1976 in Long View, Washington.
  viii. Sheldon Starr McCaskey, born June 11, 1875 in Boone County,  Iowa; died January 03, 1950 in Boone County,  Iowa; married Ada Rachel Thompson White 1926 in California; born June 21, 1871; died April 26, 1949 in Perry, Dallas County, Iowa.

Notes for Sheldon Starr McCaskey:
Once mayor of Ogden, Boone County, Iowa

  ix. Charles McCaskey, born March 07, 1877 in Boone County, Iowa; died June 24, 1965 in Kansas; married Lucy Mellany Schilling; born January 18, 1886 in Pilot Mound Township, Boone County, Iowa; died December 27, 1980 in Wichita, Kansas.

Notes for Lucy Mellany Schilling:
Death information from Memorial Card, Senter-Smith Mortuary Chapel, Mulvane, Kansas. Card also lists birth date as January 12, 1886

  x. Esther Jane McCaskey, born February 24, 1879 in Boone County , Iowa; died July 31, 1879.
  xi. Martin Ray McCaskey, born December 29, 1880 in Boone County,  Iowa; died December 10, 1959 in Portland, Oregon; married Ynetta.
  xii. Etellka Dindinette McCaskey, born January 06, 1885 in Yell Township, Boone County, Iowa; died July 10, 1966 in Boone County ,  Iowa; married (1) Walter Roy Beck December 01, 1903 in Ogden, Boone County, Iowa; died May 17, 1934 in Amarillo, Texas; married (2) Joseph Ray Williams November 04, 1916 in Boone County , Iowa; born December 01, 1878 in Boone County , Iowa; died January 29, 1947 in Ogden, Boone County,  Iowa.

Notes for Etellka Dindinette McCaskey:
Etelka and Walter divorced, December 12, 1913, Boone County, Iowa. Married 2nd Joseph Ray Williams November 04, 1916

The McCaskey home, Ogden, Boone County, Iowa
Last known to be owned by the Doran family.

Harrison McCaskey Family
back row standing:  Mary Alma, Clinton, Lincoln, Ellen
middle row: Harrison, Harrison (Sr.), Orlo, Elsie (Ritter)
front row: Franklin
(my grand-father), Sheldon, Charles
born after picture taken: Esther, Martin, Etelka

Photos of some of Harrison McCaskey's children

Sheldon Starr McCaskey

Franklin Orr McCaskey

Martin  Ray McCaskey

        Etelka D.  McCaskey  and  Martin  Ray McCaskey

Sheldon Starr McCaskey, Elsie Ritter McCaskey, Clinton McCaskey

Ellen McCaskey

Charles and Lucy Melaney McCaskey

Franklin Orr McCaskey, photo at right, was my grand-father. He was born November 29, 1872 in Ogden, Boone County, Iowa. He married Virgie Prichard February 22, 1907 in Rainier, Columbia County, Oregon. Frank died November 15, 1959, followed by Virgie, September 06, 1976. Frank worked in various mills in Oregon and Washington, was a carpenter, worked the family farm, and raised a fine family.

above: Virgie and Frank , February 22, 1959
52nd wedding anniversary

Wedding day,  February 22, 1907

Children of Franklin McCaskey and Virgie Prichard are:
  i. William Harrison McCaskey, born October 20, 1907; died July 17, 2000 in Longview, Wash
                  ington; married Margie Bolle November 1948.
  ii. Susan Jane McCaskey, born January 08, 1910; married Kenneth R. Twombly November 14,
                  1931.
  iii. Joseph Thomas McCaskey, born February 15, 1911; married D. Merle Berg May 16, 1943.
  iv. Elsie Deign McCaskey, born December 12, 1912; died July 26, 1968; married Thomas G.
                  VanBebber June 02, 1938.
  v. Twanna Margaret McCaskey, born April 08, 1914; married Harry O. Alford February 06, 1942.
  vi. Roy Orr McCaskey, born October 08, 1915; married Edith Imogene Wilson January 31,
                  1954.
  vii. Arletha May McCaskey, born May 09, 1918; married Vernon O Barnett February 19, 1938.
  viii. Mary Ellen McCaskey, born September 18, 1920; died August 25, 1927.
  ix. Benjamin Franklin McCaskey, born September 21, 1923.
  x. Virgie Louise McCaskey, born May 06, 1926 in Rainier,Columbia County, Oregon; died
          January 1981 in Torrance, Los Angeles County, CA; married Donald Patrick Flaherty.

Shingle mill crew, Castle Rock, WA. 1902,  Frank, fifth from left, rear.

Modern Woodmen of America  Frank, fifth from left.

Photos of children of Frank and Virgie

Arletha

Benjamin

William , 3 yrs.        Susan, 10 months

Roy

Mary Ellen  5, and Arletha 7

Harold Dove, Frisky dog, Louise McCaskey

Tom, in Belgium, 1944

Please let me know of corrections.

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Jim Flaherty
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This page was first published 3/20/2001 and will be under constant construction for months to come.
WARNING!
This page and all it's contents are copyrighted to Jim Flaherty 2001 and may not be copied or reproduced in any form under penalty of federal  law. I would be more than happy to prosecute anyone violating my copyright priveleges.