The following are short items written by people as THEY remember their parents, grandparents, etc. Some thoughts are their impressions. Some items are incorrect. But they give tidbits about a person and the times they lived in and help make them come alive.
Memories
Albert St. Clair McKinney Written by his daughter Lucille, Dec. 19, 1973 in Denver, CO.
The Life of Albert St. Clair McKinney and Sarah Matilda Irvine as far as I can find out.
I will start with my father as he was nine years older than my mother. We children called them Papa and Mama as that was the custom where we were raised. But it was always Mama though later we changed to Dad.
My father was raised in Wisconsin. I don't know where but I have often heard him speak of skating on the Wisconsin River. His family originally came from the South, Tenn. I think. I never saw my grandfather McKinney though grandmother lived with us a few years when I was very young.
Grandfather McKinney was married several times. Wives didn't usually live too long in those days. Dad's mother was the last wife and he was just a little boy, 4 or 5 years old when the Civil War began. The North could pay $350.00 each to keep their sons out the war. Grandfather was a radical Southern sympathizer, so bought his two oldest boys out. However as they had been raised in the north they ran away to war.
Grandfather was a little radical in some other ways too. At that time when boys reached the age of 14 or 15 they were considered men. When dad was 15 I imagine he was a gay young blade. He went to all the parties and began to dance, which was totally against my grandfather's religion, but dad kept it up until grandfather told him he either had to quit it or leave home. So being what my dad was he left home!
His father, a wheat farmer, told him to take a wagon of wheat to town and he could have the proceeds to leave on which he did.
The knowledge of his life for the next several years is a blank to me.
He finally turned up in West Texas working for a huge cattle ranch, named the Quarter Circle Heart ranch. He was called the range boss, directing each cowboy to his work on the day. There were huge range ranches in West Texas at the time. They were syndicates owned mostly by Englishmen. No fences but huge herds. They depended on brands.
Dad and Mama were married about this time. Actually in 1882. The picture was taken the day after they were married. The one I am sending you. Mama was 18 then. Dad was 27. How he got to Terrell, Texas to meet mama I have no idea. Through a friend I suppose.
They went back to the cattle business in West Texas. These cattle were the long horns and had to be driven to Dodge City, Kansas for sale, and dad accompanied all the drives. That was the closest railroad at that time. On one occasion he took mama and their two year old son, Fayette, with them. They road ahead of the herd to find a good camping ground each night. One evening he stopped for the night. He lifted the little boy out of the buggy, and like children he began to run around. He was bitten by a rattlesnake. It was 20 miles to a doctor, and dad drove the team of horses just as hard as they would go but the little boy couldn't be saved. He is buried at Ft. Sill, Okla.
Irving came along later and 3 1/2 years later I put in my appearance.
Oklahoma at that time was settled by runs. People lined up and at the shot of a Government gun started as hard as they could go. A few slipped in, sneaked in rather, ahead of the official time. They were called Sooners and that is why Oklahoma is called the Sooner State. There were several Runs but dad was in the one from the Texas border. They settled in a place bounded on one side by the Washita River, and at right angles by a creek called the Sergent-Major Creek. A Sergeant-Major had been killed there by the Indians. This was one of Custer's stomping grounds.
There is a memorial erected there just about a mile and a half from our place, where a battle between Custer and the Indians was fought. It is said, but not verified, that Custer shot Black Kettle in the back in this battle. Cheyenne now has a museum called the Back Kettle Museum, given to them by the state.
There was nothing on the land, and every thing had to be brought in by freight wagon. A wagon pulled by three or four pairs of mules, and it came about 125 miles. So until people could get lumber brought in they had to live in Dugouts! I wasn't old enough to remember that part but Irvine did.
Irvine and I started to school in a one room school house. But that was soon remedied. Years later Mamie Claire came along. Mama had a niece staying with us teaching music and she named my sister Mamie and I named her Claire for dad. As she got older she dropped the Mamie. I was glad for I was put out with the older Mimie because she made me practice!!!
When Claire was about six a little cousin came to live with us. She was a little older than Claire but they made a good team. Her mother, our mother's sister, had died. This was Adelaide.
When I was 22 my family moved to San Simon, Arizona, where they lived the rest of their lives. From 1913 to 1848, when they both passed away within 5 days of each other. Dad was 92 and mama was 84.
Irvine is a Scottish name, and McKinney is Scotch-Irish, so my dad told me.