William McColm
William McColm was born November 18, 1796, in Allegheny County, Maryland, and emigrated to Adams County, Ohio, with his father, John McColm and family, about the year 1800, and settled on Gift Ridge. His brothers John, Malcolm, Matthew and David were all prosperous farmers, lived to a ripe old age, and have passed to their reward, excepting David, who lives near Bentonville.
William McColm married Lucy Turner, July 17, 1827, at New Richmond, Ohio. Their children were John T., Sarah, William S., the latter only of the three surviving and who resides at Portsmouth, Ohio. Mrs. Lucy McColm died at Clinton Furnace, December 24, 1833. The subject of our sketch was married again June 24, 1835, at Buckhorn Furnace, to Martha McLaughlin, to whom were born James A., Mary, Henry A., Matthew and Clay F., all of whom are deceased except Henry A., a resident of New Comer, Delaware County, Indiana.
William McColm was the descendant of Scotch-Irish parents and showed their characteristics in all his walks of life; was a Whig in politics; a Methodist Prostestant in religion and a square man in all his dealings. He was a clerk and afterwards a store-keeper in West Union from 1824 to 1833, when he was induced by the late William Salter and other owners of Clinton Furnace to take an interest in the furnace and act as store-keeper and furnace clerk. His investment in Clinton Furnace proving unprofitable, he moved to Buckhorn and later to Amanda Furnace, where he was employed in the same capacity as at Clinton.
On June 1, 1840, he was appointed Treasurer of Scioto County in place of John Waller, who refused to qualify. He was elected to that office in 1841 and re-elected in 1843, 1845, 1847 and 1849. He qualified for his sixth term, June 3, 1850. He died on his farm in Washington Township, September 7, 1850, while an incumbent of the office of County Treasurer. His wife died in Portsmouth, Ohio, April 9, 1890, and both are interred at Greenlawn, at that place.
Mr. McColm was a member of the Methodist Prostestant Church of Portsmouth, Ohio, during his entire residence in that city. His congregation met at the house of Mrs. Sill, on Fourth Street, before the church on Fifth Street in the rear of Connolly's store was erected. He was always a Whig and anti-slavery. He was a strong advocate of temperance, being a member of the order of the Sons of Temperance, which flourished in his day.
From "History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time" - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900