John and Harbison McNeill

John McNeill

John McNeill was born in the northeast part of Ireland in 1798 to a wealthy family. When he was very young, the family moved to Liverpool, England, where he became infatuated with what he saw and heard of life on a ship. He was influenced to go to sea as one of the crew, and from the time he was nine until he was sixteen, he sailed upon the ocean. He eventually took passage to the U.S., landing in New Orleans, and made his way via the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Clermont County. He secured some land and was very successful as a farmer, raising hay, grain, and general farm produce. John married Lovina Stairs and they became the parents of thirteen children. 

John eventually went back to the water becoming a river man and followed that occupation for the remainder of his life. He made his living piloting flatboats loaded with merchandise on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. His children continued to farm the substantial amount of land that he had acquired. 

During the latter part of his life, he purchased stock for Atkinson & Gibson, who conducted a large distillery at New Richmond, Ohio. John McNeill purchased cattle and hogs for that firm, of which animals were fattened on the refuse from the distillery. He remained employed with Atkinson & Gibson until his death June 18, 1856.

Source: Clermont Cnty History section at the Clermont Cnty Library - Batavia Branch