Known McGlenn history in the Town of Oswego, New York starts around 1820. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario and John may have moved there to work on the Erie Canal. He likely met his future wife Edith Wheeler there. They married in 1823. From 1826-1834 they would have four children Jason, James, George and Catherine. Those early years must have been happy ones for John and Edith but it would not last.
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| Oswego, NY |
Those happy times would end by scandal that would rock the McGlenn’s living in Oswego, New York. Henry Polley a neighbor and family friend also lived in Oswego, New York in 1830 at the same time as John and Edith. What happened between John, Henry and Edith is not entirely clear. Edith and Henry met during this time and developed feelings for one another. It wouldn’t be until around 1839 that they would run away together to Windsor, Canada to get married and restart their life together.
Edith took the youngest children George and Catherine with her to Windsor, Canada to restart her life with Henry Polly. She and Henry would have two children together Warren and Clarice from 1839-1842. After a few years in Canada Henry and Edith move to Cleveland, Ohio around 1847 which was having a economic boom in ship building. Henry Polley and his step son George McGlenn worked as ship joiners during this time.
The two oldest sons of John McGlenn Jason and James would have been 16 and 13 in 1839. Did they go to Canada with their mother Edith or head out on their own? Family tradition claims that James was a sailor in his early years and he may have left and struck out on his own during this time. Jason turns up living on his own in Parma, Ohio in 1850 working as a village cooper. Coopering is the ancient trade of making casks that hold flour, gunpowder and other trade goods. It is a skilled trade craft and may have been passed on to Jason from his father John.
John McGlenn later moves Cuyahoga County, Ohio and remarries Mary Tuttle on Jan 28, 1844. Mary and John have no known children together and would separate or divorce around 1850. What John does for work from 1837-1848 is unclear. John finally settles down in Whiteford, Michigan and purchases a farm from Eleazer West in 1848. John marries for a third time to Betsey Minors June 29, 1852. John and Betsey have no known children. He would die an untimely death just four years later in 1856.
Jason, James, George, and Catherine McGlenn
After John McGlenn’s death in 1856 his first son Jason decides to sell his share of the McGlenn farm in Whiteford, Michigan to his younger brother George. Jason later moves to Sylvania, Ohio by 1860 and continues working as a cooper. In 1867 he is elected to the Sylvania, Ohio City Council and serves until 1871. At the age of 46 Jason marries Lucy Comstock and they have only one child born 2 years later Charles McGlenn. Jason would live in the Toledo area until his death in 1901.
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| James McGlenn |
James along with his brother George move to Whitford, Michigan in 1856 to farm the land they inherited from their father John. James would later move to Monroe, Michigan and work as a light house keeper for 16 years. One of his daughters would be married at the light house.
Catherine would remain in Ohio living first in Cleveland and settling down in the village of Sylvania along with her brother Jason. In 1858 she marries William Bryan and they would have 3 children together.
George the youngest of John McGlenn’s children continued working on the farm his father worked before him. During this time he met the Roberdeaux family who were his neighbors. The oldest Roberdeaux daughter Modest and George would soon fall in love and marry in 1857.
In 1865 George would volunteer and serve in the Civil War. He was a Private in the 24th Infantry of Michigan Company K 16 Mar 1865 - 30 Jun 1865.
George and Modest would move west during the Dakota Boom of the 1880s. He died on January 29, 1913, in Kenmare, North Dakota, having lived a long life of 82 years.
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