Biography of Abraham McCoy, page 49, Atlas of DeKalb County, Indiana, J. H. 
Beers & Co., Chicago, Ill., 1880.

Abraham McCoy, was born in Alleghany County, Md., March 15, 1818. He is the 
son of Andrew and Eve (Shroup) McCoy.  At the age of two years, however, he 
lost his father, and four years from that time, his mother died, leaving him an 
orphan only six years of age. Although very young he had already been living one 
year with a man named Peter Bebower, in West Virginia. He moved with this 
man, soon after his mother’s death, to Wayne county, Ohio, and, although  not 
bound, continued to stay with him until he was fifteen years of age, when he left 
to serve the apprenticeship of a blacksmith with a Mr. Elisha M. Duncan.  He 
remained with Mr. Duncan about three years, when he returned to West Virginia, 
spending some time, also, in Maryland and Pennsylvania. He was married, in 
Fayette County, in the last-named State, October 26, 1837, to Miss Elizabeth 
Moore, daughter of Joseph  and Sarah Moore, who were natives of New Jersey, 
and both of whom died soon after the marriage of their daughter. After his 
marriage, Mr. McCoy moved to Ohio, and after spending a few years in 
Cambridge and Marion Counties, settled in Crawford County until 1854, since 
which time he has lived in Smithfield Township, DeKalb County, in this State, 
upon the place which he still occupies.  When he came to Indiana with his wife, 
October 4, 1854, he had but $13.50 in his pocket, while he now possesses a fine 
farm of 200 acres on the original place and 130 acres about three miles south. 
This is entirely the fruit of his own industry, since he has never had any money 
left him, and his wife has had but $30 left her, for which they have never made 
application, Mr. and Mrs. McCoy have had nine children, whose names are as 
follows: Nancy J. (deceased), Elizabeth J., Amanda L., Isabel A., Andrew J., 
Alexander A., William C. (deceased), Francis M. and Emma E.  Mr. McCoy is 
one who may be called a self-made man.  Beginning alone in the world, with 
neither money nor education (for he had attended school but three months before 
commencing to learn his trade), by industry and perseverance he has become what 
we see him today, and, though all his exertions, he enjoys comparatively good 
health, and we trust that both have before them many years of comfort and 
affluence.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com