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Joseph Allen McCord was born on March 6, 1824 In Kentucky, USA, to William and Margaret (Allen) McCord. He was the tenth of eleven children. He lived with his mother until the age of fourteen (14) years old. He then moved to Daviess County, Indiana, where he since remained. He engaged in farming which occupation he followed eighteen years. He obtained his education in the public schools.
Mr. McCord is a staunch Republican, and cast his first vote for Taylor. He was elected town trustee in 1873. He has been Postmaster of Alfordsville since 1861, with the exception of a shorttime. He has been a member of the Christian Church since 1865, and has raised his family in that belief. He owns 140 acres of land and has a fine stock of general merchandise. He carries on farming and stock raising and is the most prosperous merchant in his town.
From Mary Lou White...Joseph McCord... He was as a storekeeper in Alfordsville. He paid Bill Potts to go to the Civil War for him. The payment was 40 acres o fland and a team of mules. Joseph was a widower and had fourteen children to take care of so he paid Mr. Potts to go in his place which was permissible at that time. Joseph McCord was a half brother to Sarah Vannoy (Margaret Allen's daughter) by first marriage) and David McCord (William McCord's son by first marriage). He was born in 1825 and was 14 years old when Sarah and David came to Indiana. He came with them also. They came in a covered wagon from Maysville, Kentucky to Reeve twp, Daviess Co.Indiana in 1839. They settled about 2 miles south of Alfordsville. There probably was no town there then.
From Joanna Brooks... The Isaac Harris connection certainly helped Joseph Allen McCord. In June 1840, accordingto Daviess County land records, Harris sold 16 year old J. A. McCord three lots in Alfordsville at the tremendously low price of $15. (In1872, three lots of similar size cost McCord $540. Even with price index adjustment, Harris' sale gave McCord quite a break.)
With the average woman in the 1850-60 period bearing five children and only 27% of women bearing over seven children, Emily certainly did her share with fourteen children. Of Emily's children, two died in infancy--George at five months and Thomas at nine months. In 1865, 205 infant deaths occurred for every live birth, a 20% mortality rate. By only losing two out of fourteen, Emily McCord beat the rate. However, childbirth eventually beat her to death. Emily McCord died three months after the birth of Thomas. When she died, her eldest child was 17. Emily was 41. Her daughters Clara and Orlena probably died from childbirth just as ther mother did--Clara died at 29 and Orlena at 30.
J. A. McCord is the tenth of eleven children, and was born March 6, 1824, son of William and Margaret Allen McCord. The father was a native of Pennsylvania. Our subject was born in Kentucky, where he lived with his mother until the age of fourteen years. He them removed to Daviess County, Indiana, where he has since remained. He engaged in farming, which occupation he followed eighteen years. He obtained his education in the public schools, and was married April 8, 1849, to Emily, mother of these fourteen children: Helen, Mason, Florian, Sarah, William , Benjamin, Margaret, Joseph, Emily, George, Matthew, Clara, Orleana and Thomas. Mr. McCord is a staunch Republican, and cast his first vote for Taylor. He was elected town trustee in 1873. He has been postmaster of Alfordsville since 1861, with the exception of a short time. He has been a member of the Christian Church since 1865, and has raised his family in that belief. He owns 140 acres of land and has a fine stock of general merchandise. He carries on farming and stock raising and is the most prosperous merchant in his town. History of Knox and Daviess County Indiana Goodspeed Publishing;Chicago; 1886 Page: 879
The Washington Gazette, Washington, Indiana, March 17, 1896, page 1: “AN AGED CITIZEN DEAD. JOSEPH McCORD WHO LIVED AT ALFORDSVILLE DIES AT THE ADVANCED AGE OF SEVENTY-TWO YEARS. Special correspondence to The Gazette: Alfordsville, Ind., March 12 – Joseph A. McCORD, after a lingering illness from Bright’s disease, passed away Wednesday March 11, at 2:00 p.m. at the advanced age of seventy-two years. He had been an invalid for several years. He was a native of Kentucky and came to Daviess county when quite young, and has been engaged in the mercantile business here for about forty years. April 8th, 1849 he married Emily ALFORD, who died Dec. 11th 1869. He never remarried. To this union fourteen children were born, ten of whom are yet living. Deceased has been a devoted member of the Christian church for a number of years. May the bereaved family take example from their father and “trust in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, laying up for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.” The bereaved have the sympathy of many friends in this their time of deep sorrow. The remains were laid to rest Thursday in the Christian cemetery.” Note: Bright's Disease: Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys. Glomerulonephritis (kidney inflammation). ......
Joseph McCord was a storekeeper in Alfordsville. He paid Bill Potts to go to the Civil War for him. The payment was 40 acres of land and a team of mules. Joseph was a widower and had fourteen children to take care of so he paid Mr. Potts to go in his place which was permissible at that time.
Joseph McCord was a half brother to Sarah Vannoy (Margaret Allen's daughter by first marriage) and David McCord (William McCord's son by first marriage). He was born in 1825 and was 14 years old when Sarah and David came to Indiana. He came with them also. They came in a covered wagon from Maysville, Kentucky to Reeve twp, Daviess Co. Indiana in 1839. They settled about 2 miles south of Alfordsville. There probably was no town there then.
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The Isaac Harris connection certainly helped Joseph Allen McCord. In June 1840, according to Daviess County land records, Harris sold 16 year old J. A. McCord three lots in Alfordsville at the tremendously low price of . (In 1872, three lots of similar size cost McCord 0. Even with price index adjustment, Harris' sale gave McCord quite a break.)
In June 1843, Harris sold him an additional 0 of land in Section 34 of Township 2, Range 5--land surrounding Alfordsville. By the time he was 19 years old, J. A. McCord had begun building a sizable estate.
J. A. McCord's Land Purchases 1840-1880
Date Price Acre Location
June 1840 .00 Alf. lots 12, 14, 16 June 1843 0.00 Section 34-2-5 October 1850 $ 75.00 34-2-5 November 1850 $ 35.00 20 34-2-5 September 20, 1852 0.00 34-2-5 October 6, 1856 0.00 36 34-2-5 October 4, 1857 5.00 39 12-31-36 March 20, 1861 0.00 34-2-5 August 24, 1864 0.00 34-2-5 October 8, 1864 0.00 40 28-2-5 November 25, 1865 00.00 34-2-5 July 5, 1869 00.00 42 34-2-5 September 6, 1872 0.00 Alf. lots 34, 63, 64 July 5, 1871 1.11 Alf. lot 65 December 11, 1871 0.00 73 37-2-5, 23-2-5 August 13, 1872 5.00 Undeveloped Daviess August 11, 1873 00.00 Lots 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 55 October 1, 1873 00.00 Lots 61, 52, 35, 36 August 11, 1874 .74 Lot 68 December 9, 1875 00.00 34-2-5
Total Land purchases ,140.85 (1870 dollars) (7,337. in 1990 dollars)
When he was 25, in April 1849, J. A. McCord married Emily Alford, the seventh daughter of the richest man in town. For J. A., Marriage again proved a profitable venture. Between 1850 and 1860, he paid (at reduced rates, either to the Harrises or Emily's family) 50 for land valued at 00 during the 1860 census. That same census valued his personal belongings at 0. The 36 year old J. A. McCord already had an estate worth 00. In Indiana, the per capita valuation of real and personal property in 1850 was only 5.
McCords probably avoided the war in order to stay with his rapidly growing family. Emily Alford and J. A. McCord had 14 children together--Helen (1851), Mason (1853), Florian (1854), Sarah (1855), William Jefferson (1856), Benjamin Franklin (1858), Margaret Hannah (1859), Joseph Allen Jr, (1860), Emily (born either December 31, 1861 or January 1, 1862), George (1863), Martha (1865), Clara (1866), Orlena (1868) and Thomas (1869). With the average woman in the 1850-60 period bearing five children and only 27% of women bearing over seven children, Emily certainly did her share with fourteen children. Of Emily's children, two died in infancy--George at five months and Thomas at nine months. In 1865, 205 infant deaths occurred for every live birth, a 20% mortality rate. By only losing two out of fourteen, Emily McCord beat the rate.
However, childbirth eventually beat her to death. Emily McCord died three months after the birth of Thomas. When she died, her eldest child was 17. Emily was 41. Her daughters Clara and Orlena probably died from childbirth just as ther mother did--Clara died at 29 and Orlena at 30.
A map of Alfordsville in 1880 describes J. A. McCord as a "Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, Hardware, Cutlery, China, Glass and Queensware, Clothing, Hats, Caps, Boots, Shoes, Family Medicines, etc."
J. A. McCord died in 1896 at the age of 72. Surprisingly, there is no record of his probate or will in Daviess County.
This person was created through the import of Pioneer Stock.GED on 31 October 2010. The following data was included in the gedcom.
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Categories: Alfordsville Cemetery, Alfordsville, Indiana