Cornelius McCarty

Birth and Death
Birth 1793 North Carolina
Death 7 Aug 1871 Mason, Illinois, USA
Family
Marriage 1 Dec 1821
Spouse Americus Jemima Bell 1802 North Carolina 1865 Illinois
Children Edward McCarty 1827 Ohio
Notes Illustrated Atlas Map of Mason County 1874
JOHN McCARTY
Page 30
Was born in Clark county, Ohio, near Mad river. His father Cornelius McCarty, came from North Carolina; and his mother, whose maiden name was Jemima Bell, was also from the "Old North State."
The family removed from Ohio to Illinois in 1837, and settled in Menard county on Baker's Prairie, near Petersburg. He had a good farm of 280 acres, but he placed money in the hands of certain parties in Petersburg, which was intended to complete his payments on the farm, and they failing to return the money at the proper time, he lost his place. He had still another small place left, but was badly crippled in a financial point of view by this transaction.
On the 1st of January, 1849, he bought 80 acres from E. Davenport, being the north-east quarter of the north-east quarter of section 19 in Salt Creek Township, where he erected a dwelling and moved in March, 1851. This place and property now belongs to his son John, and is yet the homestead. There were ten children in the family-eight boys and two girls, but only five are now living, viz: Thomas, in Mason City; Edward and Cornelius, in Texas; and John and Justin, in Salt Creek Township. It is rather a remarkable fact, that all of this generation of the family have been successful in making money, though their father was decidedly the reverse. This is accounted for by the fact that the old gentleman was of an unsuspicious nature, and generously aided people when he could scarcely afford to do so. Mrs. McCarty, however, we are told, was of a different disposition, and had a shrewd and active mind. So it is probably from her that the children received their natural talent for business. She died in the 65th year of her age, in April, 1865, and her husband lived with his son John until August 7, 1871, when he died in the 76th year of his age.
On the 14th of November, 1867, John McCarty was married in Crane Creek Township to Miss Annie Beck, who was a native of Shelby county, Ohio, and they have two children-Onie Bell and Ida. Mr. McCarty began working for himself when eighteen years of age, breaking prairie, running threshing machine and the like work, so that he made enough money to help his father out of trouble and become the owner of the homestead. The handling of stock has been his principal business in later years-farming and feeding-and though he began with nothing and never had a cent given to him, he now owns 760 acres of fine land in sections 29 and 30 in Salt Creek Township, and is still pushing ahead his fortunes. On February 13, 1872, he was elected a Director in the First National Bank of Mason City, which office he now holds. In business matters, he is firm and quick; in social relations, free and liberal, and is justly considered by his neighbors as one of the rising men in his chosen line of business.
The 1840 Census on archive.org is missing page 15 for Menard County, which is probably why this family isn't being found at familysearch.org. A transcription of the page is available at http://www.genealogytrails.com/ill/menard/census/1840/pg15.html , and there is a C. McCarty listed.

Documents

Cornelius McCarty 1850 Census
Cornelius McCarty 1860 Census
Cornelius McCarty 1870 Census
Cornelius McCarty/Jemima Bell Marriage Certificate