DAVID E. McNARY. No family has been more prominently identified with, or can boast a prouder record among, the heroic pioneers of Washington county, than those who bear the McNary name. The earliest ancestors of the race were natives of Scotland, in which country one James McNary was born in 1711. His boyhood was passed among his native hills, but in early manhood he went to Ireland, remaining there a short time. Youth is ever restless, and, longing for new and wider fields of action, the young man emigrated to America in 1760, where he made a permanent settlement in Chanceford township, York Co., Penn. Thomas McNary was born on his father's farm in York county, and in 1782 located on a place of 250 acres on North Strabane township, Washington Co., Penn., for which he paid 375 pounds in current specie. He was married, and reared a large family of children. From 1799 to 1820 he was an elder in what is now the Chartiers United Presbyterian Church. In personal appearance he was a large, fine-looking man. He died in 1820.
David McNary was born in 1771, in York county, Penn,, and came with his parents to Washington county when yet a boy. He was reared to manhood on the farm in this county, and was married to Miss Jane Edgar, who was born about 1791 in Ireland, daughter of Samuel Edgar, a very prominent man in his day. The following children came to their union: Phoebe, born May 28, 1818; Thomas J., born January 24, 1820; Samuel, born January 22, 1822; Jeanette, born November 29, 1823; Mary, born February 6, 1826; David E., born March 3, 1828; Matthew, born February 21, 1830; James, born August 17, 1833; and Joseph, born January 28, 1836. Of this family are yet living: Samuel (who is a very large man, weighing 330 pounds); Mary (married to John Templeton, a farmer of North Strabane township); Joseph ( a retired farmer, living in Washington, Penn.), and David E.
David E. McNary was born on the old McNary homestead in North Strabane township. He worked on the farm in boyhood, mowing hay with an old-fashioned scythe, and gathering it with a wooden fork cut from a bush. On August 11, 1853, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Ann, daughter of Samuel Martin, a well-known citizen of Chartiers township, and the following children have blessed their union: Samuel M., born May 29, 1854; James B., born July 29, 1856; Adeline, born February 15, 1858; Anetta, born May 23, 1860; Thomas A., born December 17, 1861; Mary E., born November 20, 1865; and Elizabeth E. and David C. (twins), born August 20, 1869. Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. McNary resided in North Strabane township until 1871, when they located on their present place in Cross Creek township, erecting their handsome residence in 1875.
Mr. McNary is another practical witness to the possibilities which lie before every industrious and intelligent young man. Beginning life a poor boy with limited education, by honest and hard work, strict economy and sturdy integrity he has risen step by step, and to-day he occupies a prominent and enviable position among the citizens of not only Cross Creek township, but of the entire county. He now owns 196 acres of fine land, and is much interested in stock raising, making a specialty of fine-wooled sheep, of which he owns between three and four hundred. Politically, Mr. McNary has ever been a stanch Republican, serving his party as county commissioner during the years 1888, ' 89 and ' 90. In religious faith he is a member and elder of the United Presbyterian Church of West Middletown.
Text taken from page 729 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed March 1997 by Karen Souhrada of Pittsford, NY as part of the Beers Project.
Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]