McMaster, John Clinton

Farmer, Shoemaker

Birth: April 4, 1845, Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio
Death: February 18, 1932, Brookfield, Trumbull County, Ohio
Burial: Brookfield Cemetery, Brookfield, Trumbull County, Ohio
Find a Grave memorial

Published Biography

From Harriet Taylor Upton, A Twentieth Century History of Trumbull County, Ohio, A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Volume 2, pp. 240-242:

JOHN C. MCMASTER, one of the well-to-do and progressive type of farmers living in Vienna township, was born April 4, 1845, within the township in which he still lives, a son of Schuyler and Lucy (Hart) McMaster. The father was born in Palmer, Hardin [Hampden] county, Massachusetts, May 6, 1801. When about fifteen years of age, he went with his father, Reuben McMaster, also a native of Massachusetts and a farmer by occupation, to Clinton, New York, and there resided until 1822, then went to Ohio, locating in Vienna township, Trumbull county, on a farm, where Reuben McMaster died in 1838 and was buried at Vienna Center, his wife dying soon after and she was laid to rest beside him.

When twenty-six years of age Schuyler McMaster married and three years later bought the farm where now resides John C., of this memoir. At that date this was but a wilderness. Soon after his coming to this place he secured employment in a clock factory at Vienna, at which place they made old-fashioned wall sweep clocks. He remained there about eight years, or possibly as long as ten years, after which he learned the shoemaker’s trade, and followed it in connection with operating his farm for sixteen years; after this devoted all of his time to the farm. He continued on the farm until his death, January 22, 1886. At one time, while an employee of the clock factory, one of the company became involved by indebtedness to him, and for which debt Mr. McMaster took eight clocks and started back to New York and peddled out the clocks on his way. He drove a team the round trip, and the weather was very cold. He could not tell his black horse from the gray one half of the time of the journey.

His wife was born in Bristol, Connecticut, August 23, 1808, and accompanied her parents to Ohio in 1820, the family locating in Vienna township, this county, on a farm. Her father, Ira Hart, resided there until his death in 1835. The mother then started, with her family, for Iowa. This was in 1846, her two sons having preceded her to Iowa. She was taken ill while en route and died and was buried on Iowa soil. John C. McMaster’s mother, Lucy (Hart) McMaster, remained in Ohio, having married about 1827. Her death occurred in Trumbull county October 22, 1881. She had three children: Sophia, born November 23, 1829, and died when thirty-two years old the wife of James Walker, of Vienna township; Willis, born September 22, 1832, died at the age of three years; John C.

John C. McMaster attended the district schools of his township; became a member of the Disciples church at Payne’s Corners and when old enough to vote cast his ballot with the Republican party, which he still supports. He remained with his father until the latter’s death, when he became possessed of his father’s farm consisting of forty-six and a half acres and here he has continued ever since, doing his part as an agriculturist, producing both grain and stock for the markets nearby. At the age of twenty-five years he learned the carpenter’s trade, which he worked at several years, then returned to the more independent life of the farm. The great-grandfather of Mr. McMaster served in the Revolutionary war and was by birth a Scotchman.

August 23, 1872, Mr. McMaster was married to Aurelia Shull, born in Hartford township, this county, November 5, 1844, a daughter of Charles and Olive (Mervin) Shull. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, at some point in Westmoreland county. Her mother was a native of Vienna township, this county. The father of Mrs. McMaster came to Ohio at an early time, and was by trade a carpenter and joiner. He became the owner of a farm in Hartford township and died there January 14, 1895. The mother died June 16, 1881. In this family were seven children, of whom five survive, as follows: Aurelia, Mrs. McMaster; Helen, widow of Smith Leslie, residing in Liberty township; Reuben, a farmer in Hartford township and by trade a wagonmaker; Calvin, of Youngstown, Ohio, foreman at Todd Works; Lola, wife of D. W. Jones, a farmer of Hartford township.

To Mr. and Mrs. John C. McMaster were born the following children: Sophia Edna, born March 19, 1875, wife of Fred W. Blackstone of Brookfield township, a drayman operating at Sharon; they have two children—Roy, born January 14, 1901; Leona, born June 18, 1902; Clyde C., born February 10, 1878, married Miss Lula Clark, of Brookfield, where he is engaged in general mercantile business, has one child—Lois Ruth, born December 14, 1898.