Biography of Hon. Charles A.O. McClellan, pages 902 / 903 / 904.  History of 
De Kalb County, Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Hon. Charles A. O. McClellan, attorney at law, and President of the First 
National Bank, Auburn, Ind., was born May 25, 1835, in Ashland, Ashland Co., 
Ohio.  His parents, William and Eliza (Wiggins) McClellan, were natives of 
New Jersey, his father of Scotch-Irish, and his mother of German descent.  
In his boyhood and youth, Mr. McClellan had but limited education 
advantages, only attending the district school in the winter months, 
assisting his father in his business the rest of the year, until reaching 
the nineteenth year when, having become a fine penman, he gave instruction 
in penmanship and pen-drawing for two years.  Notwithstanding his meager 
opportunities he, by extra personal efforts, acquired an excellent English 
education.  In 1856 he came to Indiana, settling in Auburn, De Kalb 
County, where he was employed as deputy in the County Auditor’s office 
under M.F. Pierce, serving in that position five years.  In early life his 
inclinations were for the profession of law, and while in the Auditor’s 
office at Auburn he devoted his leisure time to its study, and at the same 
time made a complete abstract of the county records.  In the spring of 
1860 he was appointed one of the two United States Marshals to take the 
census of De Kalb County.  In the fall of 1861 he went to Waterloo and 
engaged in the real-estate business, although he still pursued his law 
studies, and in 1862 was admitted to the bar.  In January, 1863, he became 
associated with Judge J.I. Best in the practice of his profession and 
remained with him till February, 1879, when he accepted the appointment of 
Judge of the Fortieth Judicial Circuit of Indiana, and filled this 
responsible position with ability and honor.  As a lawyer he occupies a 
distinguished position among his professional brethren.  He has always 
been a leader in public improvements in De Kalb County, and was one of the 
original stockholders and a director of the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw 
Railroad, and exerted his influence to have it brought through the county, 
and is now Trustee of the Nickel Plate Railroad.  In 1868, in company with 
Judge Best, he built the Star Mills at Waterloo, at a cost of $18,000, 
which were operated only a short time, when they were destroyed by fires 
without insurance.  In 1873 he was one of the incorporators of the De Kalb 
Bank of Waterloo in which he still retains an interest.  He is also a 
stockholder of the First National Bank of Auburn, and was its Vice-
President from 1878 to 1882, and since the latter year has been President 
of the corporation.  He removed from Waterloo to Auburn in 1883.  In  1884 
he purchased the Snyder Wagon Works and organized the Snyder Wagon Company, 
the largest manufacturing establishment in the county.  Mr. McClellan is a 
pronounced Democrat in his political views, and was a member of the 
Democratic State Central Committee of Indiana in 1878.  He is a prominent 
Mason, having taken the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Knights Templar degrees, 
and has served as Worshipful Master and Eminent Commander.  He was married 
Nov. 10, 1859, to Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel D. Long, one of the 
pioneers of De Kalb County.  They have three children---Jennie L., wife of 
Don A. Garwood, an Attorney at Waterloo, associated with Mr. McClellan in 
practice at that place; Charles, a member of Governor Gray’s military 
staff, and a graduate of Michigan State University, Ann Arbor, and Della.  
All are graduates of the Waterloo High School, and the eldest, Jennie, is 
a superior musician, both vocal and instrumental, and graduated from the 
Musical Conservatory at Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1879.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com