According to The Annals of Lincoln County, North Carolina by William Sherrill, Dr. John Davidson McLean succeeded his father, Dr. William McLean, as a physician at South Point in Gaston County, North Carolina. Dr. John Davidson McLean was the son of Dr. William McLean and Mary Davidson McLean.
His obituary appeared in The Gastonia Gazette on December 4, 1880, and a photograph of his obituary is included.