JAMES R. McCANDLISS, general farmer and tobacco grower, residing on his valuable estate of thirty-seven acres, which is situated in Section 29, Elizabeth Township, one mile southeast of Casstown, is a representative citizen of this section. He was born July 29, 1850, at Young's Mill, near Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of James and Mary (Abbott) McCandliss.

The McCandliss family is of Irish descent, but the grandfather, James McCandliss, was born in Pennsylvania. When he came to Ohio he brought his family over the Allegheny Mountains by wagon and settled first near Dayton and later near Piqua. He worked as a carpenter and also engaged in farming. In religious faith be was a Presbyterian and in his political sympathy a Whig. He died in 1878 and his burial was at Piqua. He married Nancy Hilands and they had the following children: John, Sarah, James, Mary, Nancy, Annie and Amos.

James McCandliss, Jr., father of James R., was born in Pennsylvania and accompanied his parents to Ohio in his childhood. He assisted his father on the home farm near Piqua until his own marriage and then engaged in milling, in 1859 moving to the old Sheets mill in Elizabeth Township and from there to Coalville, where he died September 25, 1897. His remains rest in the Casstown Cemetery. He married Mary Abbott who still survives and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Rosser, at Troy. The following children were born to James and Mary McCandliss: John F., who lives in Staunton Township; James R.; Laura L., who is deceased; Nancy, who married Charles Rosser; Nellie, who married George Wolfe, and resides at New Carlisle; William; who married Mol lie West, and is now deceased; Joseph, who is deceased; Isaac, who married Mattie, daughter of John Ross; Charles, who married Amy Emory; Crozier, who is unmarried and resides in California; Mabelle, who married Albert Carns; and an infant, deceased.

James R. McCandliss secured a good public school education, attending the Brown School near Piqua, the Edward School in Troy and later the Walnut Grove School in Elizabeth Township, after which he assisted his father until his own marriage in 1878. He then rented Andrew Sayer's farm, moved from there to the Coleman farm near Stillwater for two years and from there to a farm north of Troy, on which he remained for two years more, coming then to his present farm, which he rented at first and purchased in 1900. He engages in mixed farming and devotes four acres to tobacco. When he came here he found it profitable for a time to quarry stone on the farm, but has since abandoned that industry. He has a fine orchard of about forty trees, which he set out himself, and has done considerable improving on the place.

On November 1, 1878, Mr. McCandliss was married to Miss Priscilla F. Webb, a daughter of Lewis and Rebecca Webb. They are members of the Baptist Church at Casstown, with which he has been united for thirty years. Formerly he was an active member of the Grange and also of the Order of Red Men, but the only fraternal association be still continues to have interest in is the Casstown Lodge, No. 426, Odd Fellows, of which he has been a member for thirty-five years, having passed all the chairs and for the past twelve years having been a trustee. In politics, Mr. McCandliss is a Democrat and he has acceptably served his township in the office of supervisor, at different times.