History of Macon County, Illinois. With Illustrations Descriptive Of Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Phildelphia, 1880. Reproduced through efforts of The Decatur Genealogical Society, 1972. p. 201 [Bourbon County]. WILLIAM A. McKINNEY. Was born in Orange county, Indiana, January 6th, 1821. His father, Alexander McKinney, was a native of Virginia, and was born in 1792. He removed with his father, whose name was also Alexander, to Kentucky when he was yet in his boyhood. The family remained in Kentucky until about 1814, when they removed to Indiana, and settled in Washington county. They afterwards moved to Orange county, and in 1831 moved back to Washington county. In 1853 Alexander McKinney came to Illinois, and settled in Cerro Gordo, Piatt county, where he died in 1874. He married Mary Orchard, who, born in 1793, was raised near Paris, Kentucky. She died at the residence of her son, the subject of this sketch, in December, 1879. There were nine children born to them, four of whom have survived their parents. William A. is the third in the family. He received a limited educated in the common schools, going there for a few months in the winter seasons. He remained at home until his marriage, then commenced farming for himself. In October, 1851, he came to Illinois, and had entered 80 acres of land in 1849 in Sec. 28, T. 18, 4 E. He rented land for two years, and in 1854 moved to his land, and commenced its improvement. Upon his original eighty acres he has lived up to the present time. On the twenty-seventh of August, 1847, he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline M. Child, who was born and raised in Washington county, Indiana. By this marriage there have been twelve children born, seven of whom are living, three sons and four daughters. Their names are Elizabeth, Henry, Minerva (wife of Albert Glenn, now of Decatur, Illinois), Annie B., Elmer Ellsworth, Ida D., John E. McKinney. Samuel died at the age of fifteen, Newton at sixteen, Luella F. at twenty-one, Willie at seven, and Lyman in his infancy. Both Mr. McKinney and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. McKinney was formerly a member of the Presbyterian church, but lately, owing to there being no church organization of that denomination near, he and his family became members of the M. E. church. Politically, he was originally a member of the old-line whig party, and was opposed to slavery as it then existed in this country. When the whig party suffered defeat, and was disbanded, he joined the republican party, and from that time to the present has been regarded as one of its firmest and staunchest supporters. Upon the temperance question he has always, since attaining manhood, been an advocate of the principles of total abstinence. He regards intemperance as a vice that can only be driven out of the country by the act of prohibition. In his neighborhood and among the people who have known Mr. McKinney for many years, he is regarded as a plain, honest man. Child Glenn McKinney Orchard = Cerro_Gordo-Piatt-IL Decatur-Macon-IL Orange-IN Washington-IN http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/bourbon/mckinney.wa.txt