Heron - Connersville, IN; Baltimore Maryland; Wigtonshire Scotland

James Heron died at his home in Connersville in 1876.He was a native of Maryland, but had been a resident of Connersville since he was a boy and consequently been a witness to and participant in the more substantial development of Connersville.Though he lived only to middle age, he had done much for hte development of the community.James Heron was born in Baltimore in June 1824 and was but 12 or 13 when he came to IN withhis parents and settled in Connersville in 1837.He parents, James and Barbara (Kevan) Herno, were natives of Scotland and upon coming to this country located at Baltimore where the elder Herno engaged in dry-goods business and was thus engaged for years, becoming a very successful merchant and being regarded as a quite well-to-do man for that period.His health failing, he was advised to seek relief in the free open life of what, by Easterners, was then regarded as the "wilds" of the West.With this object in view he disposed of his mercantile interests in Baltimore and withhis family made the long trip by stage out to IN.Whent he stop was made at the old Claypool tavern at the southern edge of Connersville, and they were so charmed by the location and possibilities, asked if the place was for sale.Upon being advised it was, James Heron offered the owner $10,000.00 cash "in hand" for the farm and straightway entered upon the ownership of same and there established his home.He was known int he pioneer community as "the gentleman farmer."James Heron was just beginning to see his way clear to the successful fruition of his plans as a farmer when death overtook him, his decease occuring about 2 years after his settlement in this Fayette County as a result of injries received while loading hay.He was a native of Wigtonshire Scotland, and had been an extensive traveler, having crossed the ocean 7 times.His widow continued to manage the farm, reared her children there ans spent the rest of her life, living to 86 years, one of the monst honored pioneer residents of Fayette Co.The elder James Heron and his wife were the paretns of 6 hcildren, 5 sons and 1 daughter, James, Alexander, Samuel, Nathan and William and Helen, who married George Hibben of Chicago.As noted above, the junior James Heron was about 12 or 13 years, and with the death of his father, being the eldest son, much of the responsibility of helping his mother fell upon his youthful shoulders.(More of the biography is available)