JONAS C. McCRACKEN, a successful agriculturist of Amwell township, is of Scottish descent. His grandfather, Andrew McCracken, with a brother, David, removed from Scotland to County Down, Ireland. From there David immigrated to America about 1768, and in 1792 was followed by Andrew and his family, who lived with David two years. Andrew then bought sixty-three acres of land of Jacob Housing, to which he afterward added forty-one acres, purchased of William McClenahan, comprising the farm on which his descendants still live. In 1843 he went to Ohio, and there died. His wife was Sarah Jennison, of Ireland, and they had five children two sons and three daughters: John, Archibald, Elizabeth, Isabelle and Nancy. Archibald McCracken, son of Andrew and Sarah (Jennison) McCracken, was born May 23, 1799, on the old homestead in Amwell township, Washington county, where he always remained, and was educated in the common schools. In 1825 he was married to Lerana, daughter of Luther Axtell, by which union there were the following children: Phebe, Elizabeth, Andrew J., Mary, M. L. A., Rachel (deceased), Sarah, Cloah (deceased), Jonas C. and Martha J. (deceased). Archibald McCracken was a successful business man, and at the time of his death owned 184 acres of land. He was a Whig, then a Republican, and was always interested in township and county affairs. He died August 31, 1884, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1859, and they are buried at Amity. Jonas C. McCracken was born on the old farm Amwell township, Washington county, June 11, 1843. His boyhood was passed in attending school, and working on the farm. He took an extensive western trip, but evidently concluding that Washington county could not be excelled, soon returned here to make a permanent home. In 1885 he spent two months in Glasgow, Scotland, the guest of relatives who had not been heard from for fifty-five years, and in 1887 he took a trip to Texas. On March 15, 1888, he was united in marriage with Mary Ross, of Washington township, Greene Co., Penn. He purchased from the heirs that portion of the old farm which he now owns, consisting of seventy-five acres of fertile soil, and carries on mixed farming.

Text taken from page 1303 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed February 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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