Convention Member James Addison Young

Convention Member
Republican
A native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, where he was born January 21, 1815. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was the seventh child in a family of eight children. During his minority he worked on a farm, with very limited advantages of schooling there being no public schools in the region where he lived. At the age of eighteen years he engaged as an apprentice in the saddler and harness business with John A. Wolfley, of Circleville, Ohio, with whom he served three years. From 1836 to 1839 he followed his trade as “jour,” traveling during the time through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky and bringing up at Oskaloosa, Iowa, in October, 1849. In the spring of 1850, he engaged in general merchandising, which he continued until 1858. In 1861, he was elected county treasurer, and held the office until January, 1872. In 1871, he was elected to represent his county in the State Senate, and served through the sessions of 1872-3. Mr. Young has been twice married, first, in 1841 to Miss Elizabeth Hatfield. She died in 1846. He was again married in 1848, to Miss Elizabeth McNeell. Politically he has ever been as Whig and Republican.