History of Mediapolis, (Des Moines County) Iowa United States of America

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Isaac N. McClure is a successful merchant and influential business man of Mediapolis, Des Moines county. He was born in Des Moines county within six miles of his present home, February 1, 1844, and is the son of William McClure, a farmer in comfortable circumstances, who settled there on government land in 1839. His parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio, then to Illinois at a very early day. Mr. McClure was a man of strong convictions and high moral character. They reared a family of eleven children, eight of whom are now living. One of them, William G., is now a Christian missionary in Asia. Mr. McClure died in 1864, while his wife lived to the age of 77. They lie side by side in the Kossuth cemetery and their children arise and call them blessed. Their son Isaac had a good early training, learning the value of money by working on his own account in the harvest field as a boy, following the cradle at 25 cents a day.

He is of Scotch-Irish descent. His mother, Cynthia Evans McClure, was of Welsh extraction. Isaac attended the country schools until 17 years of age, when the war broke out and he did not attend school any more until the winter of 1864 and 1865, when he paid his own expenses in a private school in Mt. Pleasant. The following winter, 1865, he attended the Yellow Springs academy at Kossuth, and had made such progress that the following fall he secured a teacher's certificate and taught school in the winter. In the summer he worked on a farm and ran a threshing machine in the fall, keeping this up for three years. During his last term of school in the winter of 1869, he secured a two weeks' vacation and went to Lyndon, Ross county, Ohio, where he was united in marriage to Miss Susan Elizabeth Parrett, a very worthy young lady of that place, daughter of Joseph and Molena Parrett. Mr. McClure says that ever since his wedding day, December 28, 1869, he has been a firm believer in that passage of scripture recorded in Proverbs 18: 22, Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing. After his marriage, he farmed until the winter of 1873, when he bought a half interest in the general store of A. C. Brown, in Mediapolis, entering actively into the business in February of that year. The firm of Brown & McClure continued in business until February, 1886, when Mr. Brown retired from the firm and Mr. McClure associated with him Mr. J. I. Roberts under the firm name of I. N. McClure & Co. After doing business for five years their large store building burned to the ground, February 3, 1891. About $12,000 out of the $23,500 stock of goods were removed and the balance was reduced to ashes, but was entirely covered by insurance. After the fire Mr William S. Patterson was associated with the firm under the old name and a fine brick store room 40�110 feet with a large brick warehouse, was built over the ruins of the old store. This firm did business together for three years, when in February, 1894, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Patterson retired from the firm and Austin J. Evans became Mr. McClure's partner, the firm becoming McClure & Evans, which has continued in business until the present time.

During the year of 1891, Mr. McClure became impressed with the need of a bank in Mediapolis, the nearest one being sixteen miles away, and succeeded in convincing others of the need. A corporation was formed under the name of the State bank of Mediapolis with a paid up capital of $25,000, and has been very successful. Mr. McClure is its vice-president and one of its principal stockholders.

He is a staunch republican in politics, and has been an elder in the Presbyterian church for years, also superintendent of the Sunday school at Mediapolis for eighteen years past with the exception of three years.

To Mr. and Mrs. McClure have been born three children, Marcus P., Loue M., and Frank E. Marcus Parrett was born April 9, 1872, and graduated in the classical course at Parsons college, Fairfield, Iowa, in June, 1893. He spent the subsequent year in Washington, D. C., taking a special course, and there received a second degree coupled with a diploma bearing President Cleveland's signature. He taught one year in Vermont in the Green Mountains, and then being convinced he was called of God to preach the gospel, in September, 1895, he entered the McCormack's Theological seminary in Chicago and completed the course in June, 1898. Previous to leaving the seminary he received a unanimous call to become the pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Kilbourne City, Wis., which he accepted and entered on the duties of the pastorate. In September, 1897, he was united in marriage to Stella, daughter of Hon. Wm. E. Fuller, of West Union, Iowa. To them in June, 1898, was born a son, Donald Fuller McClure. Loue Maggie was born May 19, 1875. She graduated at Parsons college in June, 1897. Miss McClure had talent as an elocutionist and she took the $20 prize in the oratorical contest in March, 1896. In June, 1898, she was united in marriage to Rev. Herbert W. Rherd, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Milan, Ill. Franklyn Evans was born November 27, 1877. He graduated in the classical course at Parsons college, June 13, 1899. He took the first prize in the oratorical contest in March, 1897, and in September, 1898, received his grade from Parsons college and entered the senior class of the Occidental college of Los Angeles, Cal., where he at once took high rank. He received the first prize in the college oratorical contest in February, 1899, and in consequence was the representative of the college in the inter-collegiate oratorical contest held at Los Angeles, April 25, 1899. After completing the year at Occidental college, he received his grade and returned to Parsons college and graduated with his old class, June 13, 1899. He has announced that the practice of medicine is his chosen profession.

SOURCE: Biographies and Portraits of the Progressive Men of Iowa published by Conway and Shaw, Des Moines: 1899.

History of Mediapolis, (Des Moines County) Iowa

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