I prepared the following for one of the list members and thought that
others might find some use in it.
The following McConnells appear in Harding's History of Decatur County (1915):
At p134 on the first settlers of Marion Twp, as indicated by the original
land entries: Sampson McConnell, John McConnell, John Hazelrigg, Dilliard
Bazelrigg.
At p153, on the first settlers of Washington Twp (which covered the
southern 2/3 of the county at the start), Thomas Perry emigrated from Bath
Co KY in 1823 and settled 4m east of Greensburg. Samuel [Sampson?] and
John McConnell from KY came at the same time. "Both were powerful and
muscular and possessed great physical courage. It is related that, while
living 'on the dark and bloody ground', John McConnell was once beset by
two Indians. he whipped them both and took away from one a very
business-like war club, which he preserved as a trophy of the encounter."
At p561 in a biography of a wealthy grain dealer, John J Foley (b 21 Jan
1830 Decatur Co, d 16 Feb 1903), his widow, Margaret J (b 13 Mar 1835
Decatur Co) was the d/o John Hillis (b 1 Feb 1801 KY, d 6 May 1876) and Ann
Hazelrigg (b 23 May 1811 KY, d 8 Nov 1870). p562 John Hillis was the s/o
William Hollis and Margaret Wilson, who were also the parents of William,
John, David (who m Patsey McConnell) and Jane (who m John Hazelrigg). The
brothers and sisters of William Hillis were John, James, Ebenezer (who m
Jane Lile), David (m Sarah Burke), Mrs Nancy McConnell, Mrs Cynthia
Stevenson and Mrs Jane Legerwood. John Hillis and wife came to Decatur Co
in early 1820s when Greensburg was a hamlet and reared their family. John
and Margaret Foley had two children: Edwin Wallce (b 18 Feb 1854, d 8 Sep
1867) and Anna Belle (b 18 Nov 1855, d 21 Aug 1868). There are full-page
photos of John and Margaret Foley and of John Hillis.
At p940 in a biography of Isaac H Taylor (b 26 July 1838 PA, d 21 Jan 1903
Greensburg), who had farms near Horan and near Gaynorsville, his 2nd wife
(m 9 Mar 1865) was Emily A McConnell (b 8 Mar 1841, d/o Archibald and Emily
(Burk) McConnell, natives of KY and early settlers in Decatur who both died
in 1851). Emily Burk was d/o John Burk of KY, who built Burk's Chapel in
Decatur Co. Emily was the only survivor of 7 children at the time of
writing, her McConnell siblings being Elizabeth, Patsy Jane, John Burk,
Archibald Jr, Nancy and Chesley.
p426 - John McConnell served in Compny 2 (later Company F), Seventh IN
Regiment in the Civil War.
p456-7 - James and James M McConnell listed as members of the Greensburg
post of the Grand Army of the Republic (ie, Union veterans)
p667 - in biography of Glanton G Welsh, he married on 28 Dec 1892 Alice
McConnell, d/o James M and Elizabeth (Hardy) McConnell, both members of old
families in the county. They had one child, Mabel Elizabeth, b 19 Mar
1894.
pp655 and 1154 - in Porter biographies, reference to John W McConnell and
his wife Martha A Porter, living south of Greensburg.
p342 - reference to a list of doctors from the 1882 atlas: includes a Dr
McConnell in Salt Creek Twp.
In addition, the WPA indes to early histories shows the following
McConnells in other books:
AH - A 90
John W - A 16, 44
Martha A (Porter) w/o John W - G 331
Sampson - A 16
family - A 44
A refers to the Atlas of Decatur Co (JH Beers and Co 1882)
G refers to the Genealogical and Biographical Record of Decatur Co (Lewis
Publishing, 1900)