Sutter
County
Biographies
JOHN McKINLEY
Actively identified with the agricultural and horticultural interests of Sutter county is John McKinley, a prosperous rancher, vineyardist and orchardist, living three and one-half miles west of Yuba City, where he owns a fine farm, which he is managing with ability and success. A son of Thomas McKinley, he was born May 5, 1860, his in Sterling, Scotland. In that place his father spent his entire life, following the trade of a gunsmith, and there his wife, whose maiden name was Katherine Karr, was also a life-long resident.
Left an orphan in infancy, John McKinley was taken in charge by an aunt, his father’s sister, who brought him to Canada, where she had a sister living. When he was ten years old his aunt with whom he had come to this country died, and John was left to care for himself. Remaining in Canada for a few years, he worked at any honorable employment in both London and Paris, continuing a resident of Ontario until 1877. Coming then to California, he located in Sutter county, securing work on the farm adjoining the one which he now owns. Subsequently becoming an expert sheep shearer, Mr. McKinley followed that trade for a number of years, traveling extensively throughout California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Oregon while thus employed. Returning to this county in 1895, he bought thirty-two acres of land near Yuba City, set out a peach orchard, and made improvements of value, so enhancing and improving the estate that he was enabled to sell it for $188 per acre in 1903. Investing his money to good purpose, Mr. McKinley immediately purchased his present ranch of one hundred and forty acres, and has since been largely engaged in grain raising. He is, however, devoting a part of his time and attention to the culture of fruit, having a thrifty vineyard of fifteen acres, and a healthy young orchard of twenty acres, which he has planted to almonds.
June 7, 1904, Mr. McKinley married Jennie Livingston, who was born and reared in California. Politically Mr. McKinley is a sound Republican, and fraternally he has been a Mason since 1886, when he joined Newville Lodge No. 205, F. &. A. M., Newville, Glenn county, and is a member of the Woodmen of the World.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of the State of California and
Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M.
Guinn, Pages 626-629. The Chapman
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906.
© 2017 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Sutter County Biographies