McNeill's Cellar (IA & PA Scotch Irish)

On June 29, 1997 the old barn was burned due to extreme structural damage from the hard Iowa winter of 1997. Some of the bricks were placed in the Onawa Museum.

The Neal McNeill (MacNeal) homestead about Nov. 1890 just about a mile south of Onawa, Iowa. Neal McNeill went to the gold fields at Sutter's Mill or Sutter's Creek about 1850 and agian in 1858. He brought back enough money from the gold to buy 1,000 acres of rich Iowa farm land in 1859. He and his wife, Anna Maria (Younkin) McNeill left Turkeyfoot Tp., Somerset Co., Pa. in 1859, traveling by steamboat most of the way to Iowa. They brought with them their first child, Harriet, who was about 2 years old. They built a one room home the first year and later added the big brick home, which still stands. They built the brick home around the original. The original floor is still there under the new floor. It has since been remodled inside by the current owners. The home is 136 years old now, having been built in 1860. The barn is still standing, but is in bad shape. Many parts of the old barn have fallen down inside. The structure was built with large wooden beams from the trees on the land and put together with wooden pegs. The barn and the brick home were fashioned after the ones in Somerset Co., Pa. Judge John Hanna's home in Harnedsville is somewhat like the one in Onawa, except larger. Neal McNeill's sister, Sarah, married John Hanna. The bricks for the home in Onawa were made in the yard by a brick mason from Pennsylvania. Neal McNeill was a farmer and a stock grower. He raised cattle to send to the market in Chicago, Illinois. The people in the picture are Neal McNeill (astride the white horse) and his sons and daughters.

A brief outline of Neal McNeill and children:

Descendants of Neal McNeill

1 Neal McNeill 1826 - 1900 b: April 02, 1826 in Upper Turkeyfoot, Somerset, Pennsylvania d: November 09, 1900 in Onawa, Monona Co, Iowa
. +Anna Maria Younkin 1832 - 1894 b: September 07, 1832 in , Somerset, Pennsylvania d: March 31, 1894 in Onawa, Monona Co, Iowa m: March 30, 1858 in Somerset Co, Pennsylvania
........ 2 Harriet McNeill 1859 - 1940 b: December 06, 1859 in Upper Turkeyfoot, Somerset, Pennsylvania d: January 31, 1940
........ 2 Emily Jane McNeill 1860 - 1911 b: October 30, 1860 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: December 10, 1911 in Houston, Harris, Texas
............ +Calvin Elijah Oliver 1860 - 1911 b: April 03, 1860 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: December 10, 1911 in Houston, Harris, Texas m: October 17, 1883 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa
2 Henry Laughlin McNeill 1862 - 1937 b: September 20, 1862 in Onawa, Monona Co., Iowa d: December 26, 1937 in Onawa, Monona Co., Iowa
............ +Mae Heath 1862 - 1948 b: May 17, 1862 in Brownsdale, Mower Co, Minnesota d: June 23, 1948 in Onawa, Monona Co, Iowa m: January 24, 1884 in Onawa, Monona Co., Iowa
........ 2 Mary McNeill 1864 - 1950 b: January 25, 1864 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: August 14, 1950 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa
........ 2 Levi McNeill 1866 - 1944 b: June 05, 1866 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: August 03, 1944 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa
........ 2 John Knable McNeill 1867 - 1916 b: November 18, 1867 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: July 26, 1916
............ +Emma Stucker 1865 - 1933 b: February 06, 1865 in Hamburg, Freemont, Iowa d: January 11, 1933 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska m: March 02, 1895 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa
........ 2 Sarah Elizabeth McNeill 1869 - 1955 b: February 20, 1869 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa d: March 25, 1955 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa
............ +Rodolphus Cutler Heath 1868 - 1949 b: November 08, 1868 in La Porte City, Black Hawk, Iowa d: September 25, 1949 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa m: November 28, 1899 in Onawa, Monona, Iowa

Neal McNeill
b. April 2, 1826
d. November 9, 1900

[IMAGE]

Anna Maria McNeill
b. September 7, 1832
d. March 31, 1894

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