George T. McNary
The thriving industrial city of Ironton, Lawrence County, claims as one of its representative business men and progressive citizens Mr. McNary, and special interest attaches to his standing in the community by reason of his being a native of the county in which he has achieved noteworthy success.
Mr. McNary was born in the little village of Sedwick, Lawrence County, Ohio, on the 4th of April, 1876, and is a son of William and Eleanor (Woods) McNary, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, in 1842, and the latter of whom was born at Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1840, as a member of a sterling pioneer family of that section of the state. William McNary was reared and educated in the old Keystone State and came to Ohio about the year 1870. Soon after his marriage he settled on a farm near Sedwick, Lawrence County, and he became one of the substantial agriculturists and influential citizens of that part of the county. He continued his residence in Lawrence County until his death, which occurred in 1902. his devoted wife having been summoned to eternal rest in 1911. Of the six children the eldest is Elmer, who is engaged in the real-estate business in the City of St. Louis, Missouri; Minnie is a skilled stenographer and is employed as such in the City of Ironton; George T. is the immediate subject of this review; Erwin E. is individually mentioned on other pages of this work; Wilbur is a physician and surgeon by profession and is engaged in practice in the City of East St. Louis. Illinois; and Margaret is employed as a stenographer, at Ironton.
George T. McNary is indebted to the public schools of Lawrence County for his early educational advantages, which included those of the Ironton High School. He left school at the age of seventeen years and he then became identified with the operations of the iron furnaces and incidental enterprises in Lawrence County. After a period of eleven months' service he was promoted to the position of assistant superintendent, and he continued to be actively concerned with this important line of industry for nine years in Lawrence County, and for the ensuing decade he was identified with the wire and nail department of the Belfort Iron & Nail Company. Later he held for nine months a position as machinist in the works of the Ironton Engine Company, and in March, 1914, lie engaged in the retail grocery business in his present attractive and eligible quarters, at 979 South Third street, where his personal popularity and the effective service given have gained to him a substantial and appreciative patronage.
In politics Mr. McNary gives his allegiance to the republican party, both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian Church and he holds membership in the Ironton Chamber of Commerce. His long association with the iron industry in this section of the state has made Mr. McNary familiar with all details of this line of enterprise, in which he still continues to take much interest and the value of which as a contribution to the general well-being of the community he fully appreciates. He is the owner of a residence property in his native town of Sedwick.
On the 25th of March, 1900, Mr. McNary wedded Miss Effie Kinkaid daughter of John and Kate Kinkaid, of Ironton, and the two children of this union are Georgia Eleanor and Mildred May.
From "A Standing History of the Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio" by Eugene B. Willard, Daniel W. Williams, George O. Newman and Charles B. Taylor. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, 1916