07/09/2019
Obituary of Thomas McConnell,1833 to ?-- grandson of Francis McConnell (Sr):
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is a member of the well-known firm of McConnell & Mount, contractors and builders, but was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1833, a son of Francis McConnell, which name his paternal grandfather also bore. The latter was a native of the land of "thistles and oatmeal," but prior to the Revolutionary War came to this county and later became a member of the Continental Army serving in Washington's Army for seven years. He later became a pioneer of the State of Ohio, where his son, Francis McConnell, the father of the subject of this sketch was born in 1803. Besides being a successful tiller of the soil the latter was a shoemaker, which business he followed in Bridgeport, dying there in 1881 at eh age of seventy-nine years. He was a Republican in politics, held the position of township trustee for many years, also that of assessor and held other offices of trust. Thomas McConnell, the subject of this sketch, was educated in his native county and at the age of eighteen started to learn the carpenter's trade, at which he served an apprenticeship of three years. In 1856 he located at Marietta, Shelby County, Indiana, and there on June 24, 1862, he enlisted in Company B, Seventieth Indiana (General Harrison's Regiment), with which he served until the war closed, being a participant in all the battles in which his regiment took part. At the close of the war he returned to Indiana and after a time located in Indianapolis and commenced working at his trade, and in 1875, with his brother John A. for a partner, he commenced working contracting. They continued together successful until 1886 when John A. went west by himself and Thomas associated himself with Mr. Mount, with whom he has since been connected. They have erected many of the handsomest buildings of Indianapolis, among which was Dr. Eastman's Sanitarium. They also superintended the building of the city hall, and the other buildings, which stand as monuments to their credit are too numerous to mention. Mr. McConnell has always been a member of the Contractor's Association, the Masonic order, the Chosen Friends, and Major Anderson Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1853 he was united in marriage with Miss India Weyer, of Ohio (Belmont County), and out of a family of two sons and five daughters born to them, on son and three daughters are living. ....
