William S. Mccormick. It is said that "a man's house is his castle" therefore it behooves one to see that his "castle" is well constructed, and if pleasing in appearance so much the better. These desirable results are brought about in a great measure by the contractor and builder, and one who has been especially successful in this line of work is William S. McCormick, who is a representative of one of the oldest families in Indianapolis. His granduncle, John McCormick, it is said built the first house in the city, for thither his grandfather, Samuel McCormick, a Baptist minister, came in 1821 and located near what is now the Military Park. He was a worthy tiller of the soil but died in Hendricks County, Ind., whither he had moved prior to the birth of the subject of this sketch. His son, William McCormick, father of William S. McCormick, was born in Preble County, Ohio, in 1813, and died in Marion County, Ind., at what is now Haughville, at which time he was the oldest settler in the county, and shortly before had been awarded a suit of clothes in 1888, by the old settlers of Marion and Hendricks Counties, at their meeting. Like his father before him, he tilled the soil, but lost heavily during the war. He removed to Hendricks County when a young man and there spent many years of his life in useful and profitable labor. He was a Republican and Abolitionist and for many years was a member of the Baptist Church. He was married in Hendricks County to Miss Nancy Hardin, a native of Rockcastle County, Ky., her father, William Hardin, having been a Baptist minister of considerable note. She died in Hendricks County, in 1872, at the age of fifty-six years. Her union with Mr. McCormick resulted in the birth of nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom five sons and two daughters survive. Four sons were soldiers in the Federal Army during the great Civil War, members of Company A, of the Fifty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the entire struggle. Two of them were captured near Rome. Ga., and were taken to Belle Island, where they were paroled. William S. McCormick was born in Hendricks Couuty, Ind., December 14, 1846, aud received his education in his native county. In 1863 he left home to enlist in the Union army, joining Company A, of the Fifty-first Indiana Infantry, receiving honorable discharge in November, 1865, having been a participant in the battles of Nashville, Franklin, Dalton, Ga., and others. The latter part of his service he was on detail duty in the pay department and at the post headquarters at Indianapolis. He returned to his home very much impaired in health and it was not until 1872 that he began to recover. He then commenced learning the carpenter's trade, in addition to farming, and to that occupation has given his attention up to the present time. He moved to Clermont, Ind., about sixteen years ago. and in 1881 came to Indianapolis. After remaining in this city a short time he went back to Clermont and in 1888 took up his residence in Haughville, where he has been ever since especially engaged in the building of residences. He has always been actively interested in the political affairs of the day and has always labored for the success of the Republican party, of which he is an influential member. In 1868 he was married to Miss Evelyn Day, of Hendricks County, but was left a widower three years later and remained so until October 21,1877, when Miss Savannah Smith became his wife. Of eight children born to them, four sons and two daughters are living. Mr. and Mrs.McCormick are members of the Christian Church, in which he is a deacon, and socially Mr. McCormick belongs to the G. A. R., the K. of P. and the I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs.

Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County ...
By Goodspeed (Firm), publishers (Chicago).