Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL
Originally published 1885 Chapman Bros., Chicago, IL

Transcribed by: Becky Jones

Pages 195-198

Hon. James McCoy, the pioneer lawyer and one of the founders of Fulton City, Ill., has been an attorney in Northwestern Illinois for nearly 50 years, and the record of his career is such as to reflect most honorably upon his character as a man. He was born in Greenbrier Co., Va., Sept. 22, 1816. William McCoy, his grandfather in the paternal line, was of Scotch origin and was born in Virginia. He married a Miss Hamilton, who was of mixed Welsh and Irish parentage. They settled in Greenbrier County during the stirring times that preceded the Revolution, when the Indians of the Atlantic seaboard were at the height of their atrocities, which condition was, to a great extent, attributable to the fluence of the Tory element. Forts were constructed by the frontiersmen, and in one of these in Greenbrier County, William McCoy, was born, while his parents were seeking protection from Indian hostilities. William McCoy (2d) attained to man’s estate in his native county, and married Agnes, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Gillian) Hanna. The former was born in Ireland, and when a boy came to America and settled in Greenbrier County. His wife was of Scotch origin and was born in the same county, in 1784, and was of Scotch and Irish descent. There were 12 children in Wm. McCoy’s family, all of whom grew to maturity, and eight of whom are still living. Of these, our subject is fourth in order of birth. James received an academic education in Monroe Co., Va., and was graduated in 1836. He read law till near his majority, when he came to Illinois with a view of establishing himself in his profession in some of the new towns of the West. He reached the Mississippi River at the point now embraced by the city of Fulton, May 9, 1837. Here he found John Baker, on whose claim a rude attempt had been made to plat a town site.

This survey was abandoned, and a new one made under the management of Mr. McCoy, assisted by Henry C. Fellows, John B. Jenkins and George Kellogg. These four kept bachelor’s hall in a little shanty on the river bank near the present steamboat landing. For several months they led an isolated and dreary life, fighting mosquitoes and shaking with ague. Occasionally a curious passenger would land from some passing boat and, after looking the situation over, would go on. To the eastward of them was an almost unbroken stretch of wild and unsettled country extending to Dixon. Not even a trail led to the young city. Finally a few venturesome spirits joined them. The owners of the lots at that time were mainly Messrs. McCoy, Henry C. Fellows, John B. Jenkins, George W. Kellogg, Alvin Humphries, R. J. Jenks, John Baker, Lyman Blake and Jeremiah Humphries.

In the fall of the same year he went to Champaign Co., Ohio, where he was joined by his brother, and they returned to Fulton. He sold his land consisting of one-sixteenth of the platted tract, chiefly on credit, and, on the completion of his arrangements, he returned to Virginia, reaching an absence of 11 months, in the spring of 1838. He remained in Virginia until July of the same year, when he returned to Fulton to make collections. The financial crisis, which had convulsed the business world, had reached Fulton, and he was not able to adjust the business which had brought him there a second time, and he was obliged to re-purchase his property to secure himself from loss. He stayed in Fulton until winter, and made further purchases of land. He went to Ohio, made further purchases of land. He went to Ohio, where he passed the winter, and was there married, April 23, 1839, to Miss Elizabeth Russell, daughter of James and Jane Russell. Mrs. McCoy was born in Champaign Co., Ohio, Nov. 19, 1819.

In October, 1839, Mr. McCoy returned a third time to Fulton, to be present at the land sales. He soon determined to make this his future home. One year later, the village having acquired a population of three or four hundred, he entered upon the practice of his profession. His marked ability and untiring energy soon placed him among the foremost of his profession in the West, and his practice extended to the neighboring Courts, throughout Illinois and Iowa. He was admitted to practice in the Supreme Courts of both of these States, where he conducted successfully many important suits.

From the outset of his career as an attorney, Judge McCoy has controlled an extensive practice; and, although he has a wide repute as a chancery lawyer, he is a master of every branch of the profession. Throughout his entire practice Judge McCoy has pursued one undeviating course of strict adherence to the letter of the law under the direction of authoritative and acknowledged interpreters. He is an acknowledged leader in the legal ranks of Whiteside County, has no superior as a counselor, and but few peers. He has conducted his business singly with the exception of the period in which he was associated with his two oldest sons. William J., a practicing attorney at Morrison and Judge of the County Court, is a man of peerless ability and is rapidly attaining a foremost position as a chancery lawyer. His character, formed under the direction of his father, is one of the best evidences of the influence by which it was involved. Albert R., an attorney at Clinton, Iowa, is one of the most brilliant advocates of the Northwest, and is a man of spotless record.

In 1851, while a project was under consideration before the Illinois Legislature to construct a railroad north and south through the State, Judge McCoy originated the idea of an east and west line from the Lakes to Council Bluffs on the Missouri River, to cross the Mississippi at Fulton and Lyons. He at once called a railroad meeting at Lyons, Iowa, just opposite Fulton City. His plan was to get Iowa Legislature, which was then in session, to pass an act to incorporate a railway between Lyons and Council Bluffs. The meeting was well attended, and Judge McCoy was appointed Chairman of a committee of four, whose duty it was to present the matter to the Legislature and urge the passage of such an act. His associates upon the committee were John B. Bope, Benjamin Lake and D.P. McDonald. The petition was presented on Monday morning, and on the following morning an act of incorporation was passed by the House. It was sent to the Senate by a special messenger, where it was introduced. Senator Leffingwell procured a suspension of the rules and it passed to its third reading in 20 minutes, after which it received the Governor’s signature and immediately became a law, in January, 1851.

In order to procure the passage of this act, Judge McCoy had pledged himself to secure the passage of an act by the Illinois Legislature to grant a charter for a railroad from Fulton to intersect the proposed Illinois Central Road at or near Dixon. He immediately called a railroad meeting at Fulton, and secured a well signed petition for a charter for a railroad from Fulton City eastward. Although the Illinois Legislature was almost at the close of its session, by prompt and energetic action he secured before its adjournment a passage of the bill he desired, which provided for the construction of the Mississippi & Rock River Junction Railroad, now the Chicago & Northwestern.

No sooner were these preliminaries successfully accomplished than a serious obstacle arose in the form of another line of road just chartered to run from Beloit, Wis., to Rock Island, Ill. The interests of the two roads were in conflict. A desperate effort was made by the managers of the latter road to defeat the project of building the Mississippi & Rock River Junction Railroad. Mr. McCoy took up the gauntlet, and with his characteristic energy called railroad meetings, made as many as three speeches a week in the interest of the road, until the total amount of capital stock was subscribed. He spent three years in soliciting an aggregate of $750,000. He secured a topographical map of the western slope from the Pacific to the top of the Sierras, which he used in his address, and prophesied that within 25 years the achievements would take place he actually did witness within 17 years!

May 1, 1852, at a meeting of stockholders held at Union Grove, the following named gentlement were elected officers of the road: James McCoy, President; Directors—J. T. Atkinson, Royal Jacobs, Charles Dement, Benjamin Lake, Elijah Buel, John Phelps and A.W. Benton.

Judge McCoy was still the leading spirit in this enterprise, and by wise and close procedure the construction of the road was assured. He issued the first $400,000 in bonds, and let the contract to build the road. Ground was first broken in February, 1853, and in April following the Michigan Central and Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Companies came forward and took stock to the amount of $405,000 in that portion of the road lying between Dixon and Fulton. From that date its success was assured.

Mr. McCoy was elected its first President and served as director of the road several years, and as the attorney of the company under its different managements till about 1879, when he resigned, to devote himself to his local practice.

He was elected Judge of the County Court of Whiteside County, in 1857, with common-law jurisdiction, but resigned in his third year of service, as he preferred his regular practice. He was elected a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1869-70, to form a new State Constitution, and was made Chairman of one of the most important committees, that of State, County and Municipal Indebtedness. He also served on the Judiciary Committee and on three others of great importance.

Judge McCoy was led through his warm interest in educational matters to accept a place on the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Solders’ College, located at Fulton City, now known as the “Northern College of Illinois,” and held that position several years.

In politics, Mr. McCoy was originally a Whig and cast his first Presidential vote for Harrison. On the adjustment of political matters and the consequent re-organization of parties, he became a Republican, and has voted with that party since. He was a Delegate to the National Convention of 1864, which renominated Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency, and was a Presidential Elector of 1868.

Mr. and Mrs. McCoy have had a family of seven children, of whom six are living:  Melvina is the widow of Hon. Robert E. Logan, of Union Grove; William J. married Marie Aylesworth. Addison W. married Georgiana Freeman, and is practicing medicine at Wichita, Kan.; Augustine is a lumber merchant of Iowa; Edward, the youngest, is a lumber dealer of Sioux Rapids, Iowa.