Alney McLean
Encyclopedia
Alney McLean was a United States Representative from Kentucky
. McLean County, Kentucky
is named in his honor.
on June 10, 1779. He pursued preparatory studies. In 1820, Ephraim McLean moved the family to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
. At age twenty, he moved to Kentucky and was appointed surveyor of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
. In this capacity, he laid out Greenville, Kentucky
, the county seat, and was elected a the trustee of that city when it was formed in 1799.
On November 16, 1805, McLean married Tabitha Russell Campbell, daughter of Revolutionary War
general
William Campbell
; the couple had ten children. One of McLean's grandsons, William C. McLean, became an Associate Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.
in 1805 and commenced practice in Greenville. He showed little interest in politics until at least 1808. He was first elected to office in 1812, representing Muhlenberg County in the Kentucky House of Representatives
from 1812 to 1813.
At the outset of the War of 1812
, McLean organized a company of volunteers. Records show that the company was enlisted September 18, 1812. In 1813, he organized a company ultimately commanded by Lewis Kincheloe, then raised another company that he commanded personally both under General
Samuel Hopkins
in his campaigns against the Indians
and at the Battle of New Orleans
. He took offense to General Andrew Jackson
's charge that the Kentuckians "ingloriously fled" during the battle, and remained a political opponent of Jackson's for the remainder of his career.
McLean was elected as a Republican to the Fourteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1817. He returned to Congress in 1819, serving in the Sixteenth Congress. After leaving Congress, he was appointed a circuit judge
of the fourteenth district of Kentucky, a position he held until his death. As a presidential elector in 1824 and 1832, McLean twice cast his vote for Kentucky's favorite son
, Henry Clay
.
on the family farm near the now-defunct town of Paradise
. However, at the time, wood was more plentiful and convenient, and the discovery was largely overlooked. In 1830, the McLeans mined some of the coal and sent it to Russellville, Kentucky
on ox wagons and via barges down the Green River
to Owensboro, Kentucky
and Evansville, Indiana
. The McLean mine was one of the first commercial mines in Muhlenberg County and was later valued above other mines in the county because of its transportation facilities.
McLean died of pneumonia
near Greenville, Kentucky in 1841 and was buried in Old Caney Station Cemetery, near Greenville, Kentucky. McLean County, Kentucky
was formed from Muhlenberg and other counties in 1854 and named in honor of Alney McLean.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. McLean County, Kentucky
McLean County, Kentucky
McLean County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky; its population was 9,938 in the 2000 Census. McLean County's county seat is at Calhoun....
is named in his honor.
Early life
McLean was born to Ephraim and Eliza (Davidson) McLean in Burke County, North CarolinaBurke County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 89,148 people, 34,528 households, and 24,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 37,427 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
on June 10, 1779. He pursued preparatory studies. In 1820, Ephraim McLean moved the family to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
Muhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville....
. At age twenty, he moved to Kentucky and was appointed surveyor of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
Muhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville....
. In this capacity, he laid out Greenville, Kentucky
Greenville, Kentucky
Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. It is named for Revolutionary War General Nathan Greene...
, the county seat, and was elected a the trustee of that city when it was formed in 1799.
On November 16, 1805, McLean married Tabitha Russell Campbell, daughter of Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
William Campbell
William Campbell (general)
William Campbell was a Virginia farmer, pioneer, and soldier. One of the thirteen signers of the earliest statement of armed resistance to the British Crown in the American Colonies, the Fincastle Resolutions, Campbell represented Hanover County in the Virginia House of Delegates...
; the couple had ten children. One of McLean's grandsons, William C. McLean, became an Associate Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Political and military career
McLean studied law and was admitted to the barBar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1805 and commenced practice in Greenville. He showed little interest in politics until at least 1808. He was first elected to office in 1812, representing Muhlenberg County in the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
from 1812 to 1813.
At the outset of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, McLean organized a company of volunteers. Records show that the company was enlisted September 18, 1812. In 1813, he organized a company ultimately commanded by Lewis Kincheloe, then raised another company that he commanded personally both under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Samuel Hopkins
Samuel Hopkins (congressman)
Samuel Hopkins was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, Hopkins was educated by private tutors...
in his campaigns against the Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and at the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
. He took offense to General Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
's charge that the Kentuckians "ingloriously fled" during the battle, and remained a political opponent of Jackson's for the remainder of his career.
McLean was elected as a Republican to the Fourteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1817. He returned to Congress in 1819, serving in the Sixteenth Congress. After leaving Congress, he was appointed a circuit judge
Kentucky Circuit Courts
The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.The Circuit Courts are trial courts with original jurisdiction in cases involving capital offenses, felonies, land disputes, contested probates of wills, and civil lawsuits in disputes with an...
of the fourteenth district of Kentucky, a position he held until his death. As a presidential elector in 1824 and 1832, McLean twice cast his vote for Kentucky's favorite son
Favorite son
A favorite son is a political term.*At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates and votes for a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a viable candidate...
, Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
.
Later life
Around 1820, McLean and his son William discovered coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
on the family farm near the now-defunct town of Paradise
Paradise, Kentucky
Paradise was a small town in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The town was located 10.5 miles east-north-east of Greenville and was formerly called Stom's Landing . It was once a trading post along the Green River, but it no longer exists...
. However, at the time, wood was more plentiful and convenient, and the discovery was largely overlooked. In 1830, the McLeans mined some of the coal and sent it to Russellville, Kentucky
Russellville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,149 people, 3,064 households, and 1,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 672.1 people per square mile . There were 3,458 housing units at an average density of 325.1 per square mile...
on ox wagons and via barges down the Green River
Green River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
to Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
and Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
. The McLean mine was one of the first commercial mines in Muhlenberg County and was later valued above other mines in the county because of its transportation facilities.
McLean died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
near Greenville, Kentucky in 1841 and was buried in Old Caney Station Cemetery, near Greenville, Kentucky. McLean County, Kentucky
McLean County, Kentucky
McLean County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky; its population was 9,938 in the 2000 Census. McLean County's county seat is at Calhoun....
was formed from Muhlenberg and other counties in 1854 and named in honor of Alney McLean.