James McFetrich, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of James McFetrich
JAMES McFETRICH was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, March 4. 1840. He is the third in a family of ten children, seven of whom are yet living, born to John and Martha ( Anderson) McFetrich, both of whom were natives of the County Derry, Ireland, where they were reared and married. In 1831, soon after their marriage, they emigrated to America, locating first in New York, afterward moving to Ohio, in both States engaging in farming. These parents are yet living, and reside in Trumbull County, Ohio. James McFetrich was reared in Ohio, on a farm, to manhood, in youth attending the district school, afterward attending and in 1861 graduating from the Western Reserve College at West Farmington. He then began the study of law at Warren, Ohio, with Birchard & Moses, and for one year attended the Law Department of the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor. He then accepted a situation as teacher, at Valparaiso, in the Collegiate Institute, intending to return to law school and graduate, with his earnings. Instead of going back, however, he continued teaching steadily for five years. He then engaged in the drug trade for a time, and in 1871 was elected teacher of the High School, continuing as such eight years. During this time, he was elected County School Superintendent (1875), and served two years. In 1880, he became interested in the hardware trade, from which, in 1882, he changed to the lumber trade, at which he is yet engaged, under the firm name of White, McFetrich & Co. Mr. McFetrich was married, September 7, 1871 to Miss Martha J. White, daughter of Daniel S. White, born in Wayne County, Penn., December 17, 1846, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 259
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook