| 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.
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