James Moran (supercentenarian)
Encyclopedia
James Moran was an Irish immigrant who came to Morris, Illinois
to work on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
. At his death in 1914, Moran claimed to be 111 years old (the oldest living man in America at the time). Moran received the title "The King of the Waupecan" after winning a grain cradling contest at the age of 51.
He was given the name "The King of the Waupecan" after a widely publicized grain-cradling contest. Being a little man, fond of boasting, at the close of the competition, he stuck his fingers under his suspenders and claimed, "Now I'm the King of the Waupecan!"
James Moran spent most of his life on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²), a life lease which was provided by his brother Michael. He built a cabin there and cultivated the land with a team of ox
en. His daughter Ann kept house for him.
Morris, Illinois
Morris is a city in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,636 at the 2010 census.Morris is home to the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, which provides a substantial portion of the electricity supply for the Chicago metropolitan area...
to work on the Illinois and Michigan Canal
Illinois and Michigan Canal
The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River to LaSalle-Peru, Illinois, on the Illinois River. It was finished in 1848 when Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over its opening; and it allowed boat transportation from the Great...
. At his death in 1914, Moran claimed to be 111 years old (the oldest living man in America at the time). Moran received the title "The King of the Waupecan" after winning a grain cradling contest at the age of 51.
He was given the name "The King of the Waupecan" after a widely publicized grain-cradling contest. Being a little man, fond of boasting, at the close of the competition, he stuck his fingers under his suspenders and claimed, "Now I'm the King of the Waupecan!"
James Moran spent most of his life on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²), a life lease which was provided by his brother Michael. He built a cabin there and cultivated the land with a team of ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
en. His daughter Ann kept house for him.
Sources
- Conner, Elizabeth. This is Grundy County. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1991
- Grundy County IL Archives Obituaries