Biography - J. PARK McGEE, M. D.
J. Park McGee, M. D., a prominent and well known
citizen of Brushy Fork, and closely identified with the material interests
of the county, was born January 5, 1847, in Clark county, Indiana, and is a
son of William Park McGee, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, of
Scotch-Irish extraction. He was a saddler by trade, and a son of Robert
McGee, who was an early settler in Pennsylvania. The Park family are a very
prominent family of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and the old homestead
still belongs to John Park, of the third generation from Isabella Park. Our
subject's mother, whose maiden name was Tamar Tom, was born in the oil
regions, on the Allegheny river in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. His
father was born on the Monongahela river, in Washington county, the same
state. The Doctor's grandmother, Isabella Park McGee, was a daughter of John
Park and sister of Hugh Park. William Park McGee (father) learned his trade
in Pittsburg, emigrated about the year 1820, on a flat-boat to Louisville,
Kentucky, but settled across the river in New Charlestown, Clark county,
Indiana, where he farmed and followed his trade. He died April 27, 1862, and
is buried in Owen Creek cemetery.
J. Park McGee was reared in Clark county, and was principally educated in
Wabash College, taking an irregular course with the object in view of
preparing himself for his profession, remaining in this college three years.
He subsequently read medicine with Dr. Work, of Charlestown, entered the
Eclectic College of Cincinnati and was graduated in 1872. He afterward took
one course of lectures in the Rush Medical College of Chicago, and had a
complimentary degree conferred upon him by the faculty of this well-known
institution in 1887. He was elected to the Legislature from the Republican
district composed of Douglas, Coles and Cumberland counties, in 1884, 1888
and 1892. He was elected as a Democrat and at each re-election carried the
district by increased majorities. He assisted in passing the bill to
legalize dissecting, and for so doing Rush Medical College conferred upon
him a complimentary degree. During the first term he was chairman of the
sanitary committee, and member of appropriation, education, insurance,
revenue and railroads committees. Dr. McGee is one of the pioneer silver men
of the state, as proclaimed in the Chicago platform of 1896, and was a
delegate who took a prominent part in the state convention at Springfield in
1895, the first silver state convention ever held. The Doctor located at
Brushy Fork in 1874, and has practiced his profession there ever since. In
1864 he joined Company K, One Hundred Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry, and
served to the expiration of his term of enlistment, and he has a certificate
of thanks from President Lincoln for services rendered his country. He owns
two hundred and fifty acres of land; is a Knight Templar in Masonry, and has
never been married. He will visit the Paris Fair this year and make a tour
of Europe. Dr. McGee's life has been a busy one and during all the years of
his residence in the township the time has been fully taken up in what he
conceived to be his public and private duty. He is a man of unquestionable
integrity, honesty in his business transactions, and generous in his
disposition, with a wide charity for mankind.
Extracted 25 May 2019 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 185-186.
