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Surnames: McCoy Hopkins Montgomery Sprowl Armstrong
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/gh.2ADI/5180
Message Board Post:
William McCoy, who has been a resident of this county since 1836, and at the present time
residing in Warren, was born in Patrick, W. Va., November 18, 1810. His parents were John
and Sarah (Hopkins) McCoy, the former a native of Scotland, emigrating to America about
1803, or 1804. He located in Virginia, and in about three years afterward he was married
to Miss Sarah Hopkins, daughter of William and Polly Hopkins. She was a native of
Virginia where she was born and raised. In 1811 the parents of our subject emigrated to
East Tennessee. In 1812 the father took part in the war with Great Britain. William
spent his boyhood and youth in Tennessee. Owing to the scarcity of schools in that day he
only received a limited education. While in Tennessee, but after removing north, he went
to school two terms, which gave him some knowledge of the common branches. In the fall of
1829 we find William nearing his nineteenth birthday. He was surrounded with poverty and
an aristoc!
ratic people who upheld slavery and ignored a poor but honest white man who had to toil
for his daily bread. These circumstances led young McCoy to seek another field for his
future labors in life. He accordingly, in October, 1829, bade farewell to friends and
relations, and started for Ohio, crossing the river on the 5th of that month, at
Cincinnati. He procured work in Hamilton County of Mr. Montgomery, who had the contract
for constructing the first turnpike ever built into Cincinnati. When he obtained this
position he only had 75 cents in money. After working a while on the pike he engaged with
a farmer and remained with him until about Christmas, when he resolved to hunt a better
position and a place where he could go to school that winter and work for his board. He
wandered to Union County, this State, arriving in that county about the 1st of January,
1830, and found a comfortable home in a family of Quakers. There he remained until
spring, when he hired to an !
old Quaker and remained two years in Union County. He next went to Pr
eble County, Ohio, and began to learn the brick-laying trade and plastering, and followed
that trade two years in Ohio before he emigrated to this county. In the fall of 1836 he
arrived in Jefferson Township, this county, and entered 140 acres of wild land. After
establishing himself in Jefferson Township he and another man took the contract for laying
the brick in the courthouse in Peru, Ind. After completing this contract he went to
Lafayette, Ind., and worked the rest of the season. About the 1st of December, 1837, he
returned to Jefferson Township, and on January 4, 1838, was united in marriage to Polly A.
Sprowl, daughter of Joseph and Jennie (Armstrong) Sprowl. Polly was born March 29, 1819,
in Preble County, Ohio where she was raised. This union was blessed with eleven children:
Elizabeth J., Alexander, Davison, Sarah, Martha, William G., Priscilla, Mary B., Julia,
Louis, Marshall, of whom Elizabeth, Sarah A., Priscilla, Mary B., Julia, Louis and
Marshall, are !
deceased. Mr. and Mrs. McCoy are members of the Christian Church, with which they have
been identified for a number of years, and are among the leaders of that denomination, and
always ready to give their aid for the benefit of the church. For a few years after Mr.
McCoy’s marriage he continued to follow his trade, but finally gave up his trade and
turned his attention to farming. Prior to this, or in the spring of 1838, he purchased
property in Marion, moved into it and aided in constructing the old court house in that
city. In the fall of 1838, he returned to his farm, and by his own hands aided in
clearing up a great portion of his farm, and has spent many a hard day’s work in clearing
and at night burn brush. Thus by degrees he steadily prospered. He has always adopted a
straight-forward, honorable course in life, and by his own exertions has accumulated
considerable of wealth. About seven years ago he moved to Warren, where he owns fine
residence!
property, and resides there at the present time. He was reared a Dem
ocrat, and for the greater part of his life advocated the principles of that party, but
lately has changed his political views, and no firmly advocates the temperance cause. At
one time he was elected Assessor of Huntington County, and held the office four years. He
is now living a retired life in Warren.
History of Huntington County, Indiana. (Brant & Fuller: Chicago) 1887. Biographical
Sketches of Salamonie Township, pages 821 and 822.