John McAlister
Portrait and Biographical Album
Lake County, Illinois, 1891
JOHN McALISTER, deceased, was born in Falkirk, Scotland, October 2,
1802, and was a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Brash) McAlister. About
1816. his parents with a brother and sister of our subject came to
America, and located in Canada. His father, however, returned to
Scotland and there died, while his mother died in Lake County. Ill. In
his boyhood days our subject was in general service in Scotland. In
Canada, he married October 2, 1838, Jane Strang, born in Perthshire,
Scotland, October 18, 18l7, who is a daughter of John and Margaret
(Cleland) Strang, both of whom were natives of Scotland. When a young
man, John Strang in company with two brothers, started to come to the
United States, but was impressed aboard a British man-of-war, and was
kept in service four years until he became sand blind. He went home and
there farmed until 1834, when with his wife and nine children he came to
America, being fifty-two days on the water, and settled in Canada, but
about 1838, came to this county and settled at Millburn. At his death he
was in his eighty-seventh year, while his wife died when fifty-seven
years old. They had ten children, but the oldest died in Scotland. The
parents were both members of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. McAlister is
the sixth in the family.
About 1842 our subject removed from Canada to this county, coming
through by team, The roads were few and houses scarce. They settled in
Newport Township, where Mr. McAlister bought one hundred and sixty acres
of land from the Government, but the deed was not recorded until 1887.
Having lived on the farm until 1882, he removed to Waukegan, where he died
December 6, 1888, leaving no children. He was a Republican in polities,
and both he and his wife were of the Presbyterian faith. When he came to
Lake County he had only his team and $25 in cash, of which amount $22 were
spent for a cow. For over forty years Mrs. McAlister did the work of a man
in the field in addition to her housework, and though now seventy-three
years of age, is yet stout and hearty. She has made a present of the old
home farm, to her nephew, Robert Dugall, as an inducement for his removal
to America. Such a liberal gift will certainly be appreciated.
