William C. McKinney

    William C. McKinney comes of a family that pioneered it in Grant county as long as in 1836, and since that time the family has been prominent in the county in many lines of enterprise. Men of their name have done worthy work in the development and upbuilding of this section of the country and the name is one that is eminently worthy of perpetuation in a work of the character and purpose of this publication. The subject, as Assessor of Center Township and engaged in the real estate business as well, is perhaps one of the best known men in the community today, and with his family, he is accorded the genuine esteem of the best citizenship of the town.

    Born in Monroe Township, Grant County, Indiana, on March 12, 1854, William McKinney is the son of Elias W. and Ottilia R. (Barley) McKinney, the father born in Miami County, near Piqua, Ohio, in 1825, and the mother born in Pennsylvania about 1830. The grandparents of the subject were Dr. William McKinney and his good wife Sarah (Scott) McKinney. The former was born in Virginia in 1784, and his wife was doubtless a daughter of the State of Kentucky, where she married here husband. Dr. McKinney came to Grant County in 1836 from Ohio, and he may well be said to be one of the genuine pioneers of the state. He early settled in Monroe Township, and there lived until his death in 1860, busy in the practice of his profession in this and adjoining counties. He and his wife were the parents of six children who lived to years of maturity, all of whom are now deceased. One of them was Elias W. McKinney, the father of William C. He was a farmer all his life. He removed from Monroe Township to Pleasant Township in 1865, and in 1870 made another move, this time settling in Washington Township where he remained until 1896, when he retired from his farming activities and moved to Marion. There he passed his remaining days, death claiming him there in 1906.

    Elias McKinney was thrice married. His first wife, the mother of William C., died when he was a year old, about 1855. He was one of the five children of his parents, tow of the number dying in infancy, and the other two who reached mature years, but who are now deceased, being Mrs. Maria J. Dunn, who died in December, 1885, and Mrs. Editha O. Hicks, who died in 1892. The father later married Abigail J. Chidester, a native daughter of Grant County, and five children blessed this marriage as well -two of the number being alive at this writing, namely, Mary E. Blue of Marion and Susan Belle Grendelle, of Denver, Colorado. The second wife died in 1877 and Mr. McKinney married a third time in 1881, Martha Frazee of Grant county becoming his wife. There was no issue of this marriage.

    William C. McKinney was reared on the home farm of his father and received his education in the public schools of his native community. He lived at home on the farm until his marriage in 1879, when he withdrew from the immediate family circle and settled with his young wife on a portion of the old home place, settling up an independent household. He continued thus until 1891, when he moved into Marion, and this city has since represented him home, and the scene of his principal activities. For some two years he carried on a thriving business in contracting, prior to which time he was occupied as deputy city marshal for four years, and in 1908 he was elected assessor of Center Township on the Republican ticket, the term of which office was lately extended by the State Legislature from four to six years, so that he is still discharging the duties of his office. In connection with that Mr. McKinney carries on a real estate business of a more or less extensive nature, and he is on the whole, one of the best known business men of the community.

    He is a man who is prominent in a number of fraternal and social orders, among which are the Junior Order of Untied Mechanics, of which he has been Secretary for the past seventeen years; he is past counselor of the Daughters of America of which he is a Trustee; and he has a membership in the Tribe of Ben Hur, in which he is Past Chief and Trustee. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and his politics are those of a stanch and active Republican.

    Mr. McKinney was united in matrimony on September 11, 1879, to Miss Jennie E. Blue, a daughter of Isaiah Blue, long a resident of Washington Township. Four children have been born to them, of which number three are living. They are Dora O., Mary A. and Alice McKinney, and all are members of the immediate family circle as yet. The fourth born child died in infancy.

    Mr. and Mrs. McKinney and their daughters share alike in the general esteem of the goodly circle of Marion's best people, and they are active in social and other circles in and about the city.

Source: Centennial History of Grant County Indiana 1812-1912. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1914, page 836-37.