February 23, 2017
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“Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society. Sunday, March
3, 1929, was the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Mr. Thomas G. McKinley and
Miss Virginia G. Ross. Their relatives and friends from Geary County joined
them in observance of the joyous event. Among the guests were the bridesmaid,
best man and four other members of the original wedding party. Mrs. McKinley
wore a black satin dress with a brooch and earrings, which were a gift of her bridegroom
on their wedding day. The McKinley’s were both pioneer Kansans. Mr. McKinley
had come with his parents from Illinois in 1858. The trip was made by the use
of wagons. There was one drawn by horses, one by a yoke of oxen and one by a
yoke of cows. The cows provided milk for the family and were used to start a
herd of cattle on the farm once the homesteaded area was located. Soon after
their arrival, they selected farmland near the mouth of the Humbolt Creek. Opportunities
for an education were meager and Thomas McKinley felt that made life more challenging
for him. However, through his natural ability and strong determination, he attracted
the attention of his peers, who found him well qualified to serve publicly his community
and country. He served on the rural school board for 34 years as well as being
a justice of the peace and constable.
Mrs. McKinley was
the youngest daughter of the Ross family, who came to Kansas from Virginia in
1873. Mr. and Mrs. McKinley spent the best part of their married life on the
farm, but enjoyed their retirement years in their home in Alta Vista, where
they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary.
We have many
pictures of early pioneers from this area displayed in the hallway on the first
floor of our Museum. Stop by and take a look at them and other interesting
displays about Geary County history. We think you will agree that the more we
change, the more we stay the same. That is one reason we say “Our Past Is
Present” at the Geary County Historical Society.
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