McKinney Family 1838 - 1932

Speech given by Thomas S. McKinney (b. 27 June 1874, d. 28 June 1952) at the annual McKinney reunion at Basin, West Virginia. This was the last year that Mr. McKinney attended the reunion. Based on chronological references in his speech, it would have been delivered about 1940.

I am indebted by to Mr. Thomas Pitman of Carmel, Indiana for forwarding this information to me. --Steve Bonner

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"Joseph F. McKinney settled on Barker's Ridge about the year 1838. He moved to this point from near Kegley, Mercer County, W.Va. Just when or where he was married we have not been able to determine, neither do we know the place of his birth. He was a member of the first Grand Jury organized in Mercer County. This Grand Jury made two indictments, one for a violation of law relative to the county road, and the other was made against a man for non-support of his family.

"About that same time that he served on this Grand Jury he brought his oldest two boys, Samuel P. and Joseph F. and came to Barker's Ridge late in the fall to hunt and dig ginseng. When they had stayed there a while, they learned to like the place so well that they built a three-sided camp, one side being left open before which they built their fires, and decided to move the rest of the family to the new location.

"The new home was being located away out in the wildnerness, far from any settlement. The nearest house back toward Princeton was sixteen miles away and the nearest house on Guyandott River, above where Pineville now is, was fifteen miles away. These were his nearest two neighbors. There was no road in the country, and the forest and woods did not seem like they do now, but were very open, since there was very little brush.

"When the camp was finished, the father left the two boys with their hunting rifles and the bear dog at camp and went to bring his wife and the other children, together with the horse and cattle. About the time he reached home there came a snow of several inches. He waited for the snow to melt before he moved to the new home. This was about two weeks. While he was gone, the boys at the camp amused themselves by hunting. Their luck in hunting was good, as was proven by the dressed game they had when the family came. They had put a pole up across the back end of the camp and had game hanging on it from one end to the other.

"At this time we are not sure whether the maiden name of Joe McKinney's wife was Mattie Dillon or Mattie Echols, but they continued to live at the new home and soon other settlers came and settled nearby. In the meantime Joe (Joseph F. McKinney) prospered to the extent of becoming the owner of about eleven hundred acres of land. Everything seemed to go well and family was well satisfied. The children increased in number until the following children were there: Samuel Paris, Joseph F., James, Juliet, Wilmuth, Jessie Green, William Anderson, Jane, Ira and Lampkin. Then the mother died and was laid to rest on top of the hill above the house.

"After some years of single life, Joseph F. McKinney (Joe) married Helen Mills, and about the same time or soon thereafter he moved to lower Loop Creek in Fayette County. Nearly all the children remained on Barker's Ridge for some time. James went West and we don't know where he settled. Jessie Green seemed to have gone with his father to Loop Creek.

"By his last wife ten other children were born, four of whom died in infancy or when they were very small. The six who grew to maturity were: Polly McKinney, who died in 1930, age 75; Henry McKinney, who also died in 1930, age 69 years; Daniel McKinney, who may still be living since we have not heard of his death, who is 80 years old; Andrew McKinney, who died at the age of 67; Alfred McKinney, now 70 years old, living in Betsey Layne, Ky; Joshua McKinney, 66 years old and living at Oak Hill, W.Va.

"The two families of children did not stay together much, the first family staying on Barker's Ridge and the second staying at Loop Creek.

"Grandfather Joe McKinney was a large man and very stout. It is said that he never took a dose of medicine or was confined to his bed until at the age of ninety-three he suddenly took sick and died of cramps in 1877.

"The oldest boy in the first family, Samuel P., married Betty Dillon. To this union was born twelve children, all of whom are living to be grown and rearing families of their own, as follows: Nancy, who first married Lewis Blankenship, who was killed in the Civil War. Later she married Harvey G. Little; Martha, who married Crocket Akers; John Wesley, who married Virginia Sizemore; George R., who married Victoria Blankenship; Polly, who married Alfred McKinney (son of Jordan McKinney); Samuel M., who married Sarah Cadle; Luke, who married Arminta Basham; Hugh J., who married Mary Graham; James W. (Big Jim), who married Levena Mills; Joseph F. McKinney, who married Victoria McKinney.

"At the same time when Samuel P. McKinney was rearing his family, the school system of this state was just starting. In fact, some of the older children had no advantage of free schools. My father, S. M. McKinney, went to school three months, all told. But he had an inquiring disposition and sought to inform himself by all available means. So well did he succeed in this particular that he came to be regarded as a well-informed man. He could talk entertainingly and interestingly on almost any subject, and his service was frequently sought by his neighbors.

"He took life seriously and tried to live that a minimum part of his time would be wasted. He had the highest regard for law and order. He was never arraigned in court and never had a lawsuit. He became a member of the Methodist Church at the age of twenty-five, and almost immediately afterward was made a minister. He continued to preach and serve as pastor for the various Methodist churches within reasonable distance of his home throughout the remainder of his life--nearly fifty years.

"He reared a family of ten children. The youngest is now 45 years old, and all are still living except one--Martha, who died at the age of 25. The names of the children are as follows: Thomas S., who married Lilly Belle Ashworth; Nancy Elizabeth, who married Blackburn McKinney; Levina (Viney) who married Walter McKinney; Martha, who married John Graham; Luke, who never married; Polly, who married S. L. Hurst; George W., who married Charlotte Ashworth; Alfred, who married Imogene Whitt; Mary, who married M. R. Jennings; Charles S., who married Pearl Whitt.

"S. M. McKinney was very diligent in trying to educate his children. Although schools were far apart and the school term only two months long at the time his oldest child attended school, this child having to board away from home for the first two years schooling. He succeeded to the extent that seven of his children became school teachers, holding certificates from Number-One Life Certificates to A.B. Degrees.

"S. M. McKinney continued to live and labor in the immediate neighborhood where he was born and grew up. His long and useful life came to an end on March 13, 1927. His good wife followed him to the grave July 8, 1932.

Comments regarding this page to: Deborah Johnson.