Mercer County PAGenWeb


Andrew McKinney


ANDREW MC KINNEY, a retired merchant at Clarksville, Pymatuning township, was horn February 5, 1825, in Ireland. He is the son of John McKinney, who died in Ireland in 1864. He was a farmer and married Rebecca Thompson. Andrew McKinnev attended the common schools until thirteen years of age, when he commenced clerking in a store with his uncle, continuing there three years, and when seventeen years of age he came from Ireland to America, locating at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. During the hard financial times of Pittsburg he came to Washington county, Pennsylvania, and through the influence of friends from his native country secured a position as school teacher, which he filled for three years, then went to Philadelphia and spent three years there as clerk in a grocery store. He next returned to Pittsburg and accepted a position as shipping clerk in an iron store, remaining there twelve years, after which he opened a general merchandise store at Ellsworth, Ohio, which he operated for ten years. He then went to Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, where he bought a general store at Plain Grove and a branch store at North Liberty, Pennsylvania. From there he removed after a time to Clarksville and in 1887 retired from business. Politically, he is a stanch Republican. During his stay at Plain Grove, Pennsylvania, and Ellsworth, Ohio, he was postmaster at both points.

Mr. McKinney has been twice married: first, February 25, 1850, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Agnes White, a native of Ireland, born October 28, 1829, a daughter of John White and wife. Mrs. Agnes (White) McKinney died in 1881, and in 1883 he married Mrs. Sarah Wilson, widow of Wesley Wilson. She is the daughter of Charles Koonce and was born November 14, 1836, in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. There is no issue by this union. By his first marriage the following children were born: John W. McKinney, member of the firm of Arbuthnot, Stephenson & Co., wholesale dry goods firm of Pittsburg; William James McKinney, resident of New York City and contractor with T. A. Gillespie Company; Rebecca Jane, wife of T. P. Offutt, North Liberty, Pennsylvania, deceased; Martha Agnes, deceased; Henrietta, deceased; Robert Alexander, of the New Castle Notion Company, at New Castle, Pennsylvania; Emily T., wife of W. T. Burns, cashier New Castle Traction Company; Arthur, deceased; Samuel T., pastor in the Congregational church at Cripple Creek, Colorado.

Twentieth Century History of Mercer County, 1909, pages 755-756



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