McCormick, Joseph - River Boat captain
Born 18 April 1787, in Wyoming, Pennsylvania Joseph McCormick's parents moved to Steuben County NY when he was two and where he was raised and educated. Quite versatile, he apprenticed as a river boat pilot and ran lumber on the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers as well as in Chesapeake Bay. On March 25, 1806 he was married to Mary Hatfield.
When the War of 1812 came along, he volunteered and was a captain in the infantry. He was at several big battles in the war, including the Siege of Fort Erie. Although promoted to Major he resigned the position in 1816 after the war had ended. This year he moved to Lawrenceville, PA and worked in the lumber trade until 1829. From there it was Louisville Kentucky and in 1832 to Covington, Indiana area where he was appointed postmaster at Rob Roy. During this time, his call of the wild reappeared and he became owner of the stem ship, The Detroit which he ran from Louisville and St. Louis to various ports in the South on the Mississippi River. During this time, he took a keen interest in Texas serving as a delegate for the framing of the Texas constitution and returned to Indiana for his time in the House, serving three terms representing our own Fountain County. In 1844, he moved to Warren County Ill where he stayed but four years, moving then to Wisconsin.
In 1868 he moved to Ahnappe, Wisconsin and farmed plus where he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in the 1870 election. His wife passed about this time, leaving him with three beautiful children, two sons (John H. of Covington) and a daughter as well as three or so other children who passed young. When the Wisconsin State Assembly adjourned in 1871, he lived in retirement but was thrown from a horse-drawn buggy not long afterward and because of never regaining his health he later died (Aug 26, 1875) at his home in Ahnapee and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery at Algoma, Kewaunee Co Wisconsin. He was active in the Masons, the Episcopal Church, the Key Lodge and other fraternal clubs in most everywhere he lived.
His obituary noted that he was possessed of remarkable intellectual energy, physical strength and was quite active. He was 88 years old and remained in tip-top shape except for the last few years.
Count it – river boat captain; farmer; lumberman; legislator soldier and pioneer into both Fountain County and the Ahnappe, Wisconsin area. Rest In Peace Sir – kbz
Source: Wikipedia.org