Archibald McVey
Archibald McVey was born on a farm in 1836 in New York; both of his parents had emigrated from Scotland. He came to Chillicothe in 1865 after serving in the Civil War and reaching the rank of Captain in the US Navy. Once here he entered into the dry goods business, opening a shop in 1866 in partnership with T.N. Murry. The T.N. Murry dry goods store was located where the Adams and Sons grocery was later established, in the 500 block of Locust Street. After the death of Mr. Murry, McVey went into partnership with his brother-in-law, E.E. McKee for a brief time.
Benjamin Smith, an east coast resident, entered into a partnership with McVey in 1871 and the store changed to the name Smith & McVey and moved to 614 Washington Street.
In 1887, McVey and Smith constructed a larger, spire-topped building at the corner of Clay and Locust Streets. Architect Charles B. Clarke from St. Louis returned to Chillicothe to design this grand building; he had also designed Chillicothe's first Central School in 1875 and the 1877 City Hall. In 1909 an annex was added across the alley in the back and was dedicated to ladies-ready-to-wear clothing. This brought the total floor space to over 30,000 square feet for the store. The New York Store had over 60 departments and employed about fifty people. They had their own dedicated heating and electric plant. To learn more about this building please see our Historic Downtown Walking Tour.
McVey also served as city councilman for two terms. He was Mayor of Chillicothe from 1883-1885. And he held a position on the Board of Education for the first Central School in about 1876. When Chillicothe formed its first Commercial Club in 1891, a precursor to the Chamber of Commerce, McVey was its first President. In the early 1900s he served as the "curator of the University of Missouri." He was one of twenty-six editors for the "Morning Times."
McVey married Caroline "Carrie" Hawley while he still lived in New York and they had one daughter, Frances Mary McVey. Once in Chillicothe, they bought a lovely pre-Civil War home on south Elm Street, backing onto what is now the Arts District on Locust Street. Carrie's brother, Jonathon F. Hawley, ran a shoe store and had his home a couple of doors north of theirs. (His home was torn down in about 2018.) Carrie's unmarried sister, Nellie, lived with them.
The McVey home was destroyed in a terrible fire in 1905 that encompassed a number of buildings behind them on Locust Street. They rebuilt and that home is still standing today.
Frances married Jesse Barclay in 1895 and he then entered into business with the McVeys. Eventually the store changed to the Barclay-McVey dry goods store.
McVey died April 27, 1921 at his Elm Street home and is buried at Edgewood Cemetery. Carrie died in 1932.