James McMaken, farmer; P. O. Piqua; born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1824; is the son of John and Lydia (Catterlin) McMaken, he being, a native of Kentucky, and she of Virginia; they were parents of ten children, viz., James, John, Ewing (deceased), Wilson, George, Martha, Ann (now living); the grandfather (John) on his father's side, was born in Pennsylvania, and the grandfather on the mother's side (Joseph) was born in Virginia; John and Lydia, the parents, came to Miami Co., Ohio, and located in Newberry Township, four miles west of Piqua, in 1832, November 24, and opened out right in the woods, there being only four houses between them and Piqua; here they labored, cleared up the land, built their houses and endured all the hardships of pioneer' life, amid the howling of wolves and wild beasts; he lived to shoot the last wolf and the last deer that was killed or seen in that neighborhood ; he lived and died on the same farm, dying in the fall of 1872; his wife is still living, about 80 years of age. Mr. McMaken, our subject, lived with his father till about 23 years of age. In 1847, he was united in marriage with Adeline Rike, daughter of John and Catharine Rike, who were natives of Maryland, but came to Ohio at quite an early day ; by this, union they had eleven children, seven of whom are living, viz., Marion, Bell, James, Addie, Clara, Alice, Walter Scott and Lydia Catharine; after their marriage they lived with his father about one year; then lived on rented farms about five years; bought 80 acres of land about three miles west of Piqua, where they lived one and a half years, then sold and bought 160 acres in Newberry Township, where they lived about eight and a half years; finally, sold, and bought 83 acres in Washington Township, where he now lives; he has continued to labor here, improving and economizing, till now he owns 235 acres of land, besides some property in Piqua; has erected several buildings on his land, and now has everything comfortable and convenient where he lives; this has all been accomplished by close application to business, industry and economy having been his mottoes starting in life with no means, and now possessed of a competency for the balance of his life.