Some Family History

I've gotten a massive infusion of family history from my 80 year old aunt from Oregon. I went on Ancestry.com, which turns out to be expensive, but I'll probably join after I learn all the rules. In the meanwhile, here's one of the things she sent from the historical society of Beaver City, NE.

Mr. and Mrs. William T. McKinney, homesteaders in Furnas County
William Thomas McKinney, son of Mathew and Nancy McCreary McKinney was born May 4, 1842 in Guernsey County, Ohio. In 1861 he enlisted in the Union Army mustering into Company A 15th Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving for 4 years and 5 months. He took part in the battles of Chickamauga, Nashville, Franklin and the siege of Atlanta. In 1865 he was honorably discharged. After being discharged from the Army he lived with his parents in Andrew County, Missouri. They had moved there while he was in the Army.

January 12, 1871 he was married to Miss Debora Briggs, daughter of James and Lucinda Tinkham Briggs. Debra was born October 26, 1846 in Vinton County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. William McKinney returned to Missori after they were married. Their oldest child, Mable McKinney Prideaux, was born there.

William T. McKinney came west to look for a homestead September, 1872 in company with Sanders Hileman, a cousin. Mr. McKinney filed on a homestead on N.W. 1/4 of sections 31, township 1 North, Range 23, West of the 6th p.m. He also filed for his brother John on the S.W. 1/4 of the same section. Sanders Hileman took the S.W. 1/4 of section 30. This land is in Spring Green Precinct, approximately 8 miles south of Hendly and just north of the Kansas Line.

The 10th of March, 1873 William McKinney and his brother, John, started back to their claims, starting out in deep snow with covered wagons loaded with household good, tools and provisions to build their log cabins.

May 1, 1873 Debora McKinney with her year old babe, Mable, in company with Clark McKinney, brother of William McKinney and another family, Jasper Wood and his family, started for their western homes with three covered wagons and about 50 head of cattle. The trip took four weeks. The Wood family stopped in Smith County, Kansas, that being their destination. Thirty head of catttle were theirs. William and John McKinney met them there. They had brought a team and wagon in order to take a load of corn back to the homestead. The log cabin was 14x16 with one window and a door with dirt overhead and the same underfoot.

In addtion to more household belongings and cattle, Mrs, McKinney and her brother-in-law, Clark, also brought two pigs and a coop of chickens. Another room for storage was built onto the cabin later. Two more daughters were born in this cabin, Mary who later married Charles Enfield, and Anna who became Mrs. Fred Kohler. After the birth of the last daughter, a bigger cabin was built in 1876. The big frame house was built in 1879 and then there were two sons to add to this pioneer family-hard times as well as many good times. All three of the girls were married in this big frame house and also William and Debora celebrated their 50th anniversary there too. All their children were present except Mary Enfield who had passed away in 1914. There were many grandchildren there to help celebrate the Golden Wedding.

William McKinney passed away at the farm home July 1, 1923. Debora McKinney continued to live on the farm with her son, William W. McKinney, until her death December 26, 1928. Both Mr. and Mrs. McKinney are buried in the Beaver City, Nebraska Cemetery.

The land that Mr. McKinney chose for his homestead was in a beautiful area of the Sappa Creek and many beautiful trees. This staunch pioneer couple faced the hardships and privations of a frontier life. They lived to see a peaceful and prosperous community develop where they found chiefly Indians and buffalo. Few if any of the early pioneers of Furnas County had ever lived as long and died on the land where they first settled.

1972--...the oldest daughter, Mable McKinney Prideaux celebrated her 100th birthday February 27th.


I'm a descendant of the McKinney's and Prideaux's. Yikes!! I've got giant manila envelopes with writings and family trees going back to Europe in the 1600's. Looks like I'm about to become a gynecologist, I mean genealogist.