An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, WA. 1905, pages 387-388. THOMAS J. McCLURE is one of the earliest pioneers of this section and he now is a heavy real estate owner in Wasco county. The old home place is situated about four miles east from Mosier, where he with his brother and sister own seven quarter sections and one eighty, making a total acreage of twelve hundred acres. Thomas J. McClure was born in Buchanan county, Missouri, on November 20, 1846. In 1852, his parents, William C. and Amelia H. (Sullivan) McClure, who were married May 26, 1842, crossed the plains with ox teams. They started out from Missouri with twelve ox teams, making three outfits. When they arrived in the Willamette valley they had one ox and one cow, the latter having been bought en route. The father was born in Tennessee, of Scotch-Irish stock. His father, the grandfather of our immediate subject, participated in the War of 1812, his captain being James Bennett, and he drew a pension until his death, which occurred where our subject now lives, on December 31, 1878, he being aged eighty-two. He had crossed the plains with the son and was a pioneer of this country. William C. McClure died here at the old homestead on May 21, 1895. His widow, also of Scotch-Irish ancestry, died here on September 29, 1896. Thomas J. was reared and educated principally in Yamhill county, where the family settled first. In 1864, they sold out there and removed to The Dalles. They rented a place on Threemile creek until the fall of 1865, then removed to town and on May 12, 1866, they came to the place where our subject now lives and took a homestead. The grandfather took a claim also and when our subject was old enough, he took an adjoining quarter. He and his brother have bought since until they have the magnificent estate mentioned already. Mr. McClure gives attention to raising hay mostly, and also does some general farming. His brother, William T., lives near. His sister, Mrs. Amanda A., widow of Andrew Marsh, keeps house for Mr. McClure. She has one son, William A., who dwells with them. Mr. McClure is a Democrat and a man well posted in the questions of the day, and also well posted in the history of the country, having seen it developed from the wild state, in which it was when they came, to its present prosperous condition. He has done a good part in this work and is to be classed with the leading men of the county. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.