WRITINGS OF S,rn HousroN, 1837-1841
36
of McKinney & Williams removed from Quintana to Galveston, and from that time on exercised large banking functions. On February 3, 1841, the Texan Congress authorized this firm to issue its notes for circulation as money (See Gammel, Laws of Texas, II, 598-600), and in 1847, the old charter of 1835 was virtually renewed and validated by the Texas Congress, and the bank was at last organized. It was the first legal bank to be established in Texas, and it transacted a very large state and international business for the next ten years. (See note under Samuel May V{illiams, September 6, 1837, this volume). McKinney was a strong advocate for the construction of railroads, and urged the construction of lines radiating in all directions from Galveston. He declared that railroads were a necessity if Texas was to develop rapidly. Especially did he enthusiastically support the Brazos and Galveston Rail- road which was to run from Austinia on the bay-shore, opposite the island, to the town of Brazoria on the Brazos; and he was largely instrumental in getting the road incorporated under an act of May 24, 1838. (See Gammel, La11,'S of Texas, I, 37--42,) This partnership between McKinney and Williams continued until the death of Williams, although all active partnership business had ceased about the year 1853, when McKinney moved to Travis County and settled on a tract of land he had long owned on Onion Creek, about six miles from Austin. His brother James, who knew every detail of the firm's business said: "there was no formal dissolution, but the partnership was simply allowed to drop gradually." McKinney had a real passion for fine stock, both cattle and horses, and in Travis County he was actively engaged in stock raising and in agriculture. His horses were famous throughout Central Texas. He had a race course laid out for his own amusement, where he trained and exercised his fast horses. He was a strong Union man, and was strongly opposed to secession, but when Texas seceded from the Union he accepted the situation. He was too old and infirm from attacks of rheumatism to enter active service in the field, but he accepted a position as agent of the Confederate States under Simeon Hart of El Paso. The Civil War and an unfortunate speculation in cotton caused McKinney, though once wealthy, to die a poor man, leaving his second wife, Anna Gibbs, whom he married in 1843, his sole heir. He never had any children. He died on October 2, 1873, at twelve o'clock, and lies buried in Oakwood Cemetery at Austin. Judge Benjamin C. Franklin and General N. G. Shelley both made short orations at the grave, in addition to the religious services conducted by Reverend Mr. Dodge. The pallbearers were Joseph Lee, A. J. Hamilton, James H. Raymond, Jame!- B. Shaw, John M. Swisher, B. C. Franklin, F. W. Chandler and W. P. De Normandie. His widow lived until 1896. See Frank Brown, Annals of Travis County and Austin (MS.), XXXII, 33-34; Democratic Stcitesman (Austin), March 31, 1873, Ibid., October 9, 1873; Galveston (D) News, October 3, 1873; E. C. Barker, Life of St.ephen F. Austin, 378, 469, 484, 496; Austin Pavers (3 vols.) pa.ssim; William C. Binkley, Official Co1·1·espondencr. of the Texas Revolu- tion, 1835-1836 (2 vols.), pa.~sim, Baker, Texas Scrav Book, 279-280; Thrall, The People's Illustrated Almanac, Texas Hand Book and Emigrant's Guide, 191, and many other sources for Texas history.
,,
Powered by FlippingBook