John Fitch Kinney

BALL, BUULLEN, HALL, KINNEY, LEGARE, PIERCE, ROOTS, ZEIGLE

Posted By: John Stuekerjuergen (email)
Date: 7/7/2024 at 07:29:54

John Fitch Kinney: West Point Man Serves on Supreme Court, Saves Wagon Train, and Names Nebraska City for His Daughter

John Kinney (1816-1902) was born and educated in New York. He followed relatives in 1839 to Ohio, where he met his future wife, Hannah Hall (1816-1895). Kinney asked Hannah's parents for permission to marry their daughter. They gave it reluctantly, as they had only known him for a short time and were unsure that his new law practice would adequately support the newlyweds.

Settling in West Point:
In 1844, John and Hannah decided to move west. Their destination was Lee County, Iowa, as Hannah's brother lived in nearby Burlington. The Kinneys found a home on the outskirts of West Point, and John opened a law office in town, with the (unfulfilled) expectation that West Point would be the permanent county seat. He also served as a prosecuting attorney for Lee County in 1846 and 1847. Kinney received considerable praise for his legal acumen. Active in politics, he was made President of the Iowa Democratic Convention in 1847.

State Supreme Court appointment:
At about the same time, Kinney was selected by the governor of Iowa to fill a seat on the State's Supreme Court. He was only 31 when appointed, and served from 1847 to 1854. During his time on Iowa's Court, he purchased an 80-acre farm adjoining the town of West Point. He improved it by planting an orchard, erecting comfortable buildings, and (when court was not in session), and helping with crop production. The home was so completely surrounded by trees and bushes that Hannah called it "The Bowery."

Education of the Kinney children:
The Kinneys had at least nine children, two of which were born at West Point. The children's first teacher, Mrs. Ball, stayed at their house and conducted a private school in town. Later, the children attended a "select school" taught by Mr. & Mrs. Roots (sp?).

Some of the children attended the Presbyterian College (Des Moines College) on the town square. Reportedly, the college attempted to attract some of the "very best" instructors from the East. However, the College was only open for three years due to "inadequate accommodations and financial difficulties." After the College failed, the Legare College for Women was started in the same building (the old county courthouse) by Mary Legare Bullen, sister of the former U.S. Attorney General and Interim Secretary of State, Hugh Legare. Like its predecessor, this school did not last long.

Surviving a cholera epidemic:
In 1849 or 1850, the community suffered through a cholera epidemic. Of the roughly 500 citizens of West Point, 50 died. The people were panic-stricken. Some tried to escape the illness by traveling to stay with distant relatives, but became ill on the way. One family lost the father and all six children. One of the children was a classmate of Judge Kinney's daughter, Ellen. The girl was at school Friday afternoon, but was buried by Saturday evening. It was said that Judge Kinney selflessly cared for the sick, distributing disinfectants and making sure the dead were properly buried. He did not allow his children to drink water or eat fruit from the orchard during the epidemic.

Chief Justice of Utah Supreme Court:
In early 1854, Judge Kinney was chosen by President Franklin Pierce to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah Territory. The Judge was initially reluctant to accept, as the position would require rough travel across the wild plains, via wagon train. However, Hannah was in poor health and Judge Kinney thought the more arid climate might benefit her.

So the family set out for Salt Lake City in spring 1854, following a group of ox-drawn wagons for protection from the Indians. There were about 25 men and their families in the group. By the time they had traveled 500 miles west of the Missouri River, all ammunition had been depleted in hunting for game. A war party of 50 Indians was seen on a bluff, about a mile distant. A view through a field glass showed the Indians dismounting, taking guns from their buckskin covers and pulling arrows from their quivers.

Indian threat on the way west:
On came the Indians, whooping and raising guns, bows, and spears. Having an inability to defend themselves, many of the travelers hid themselves in their wagons. Judge Kinney and George Zeigle, a young man who had befriended him, bravely walked out to meet the Indians despite the possibility of death. The Indians slackened the speed of their ponies, no doubt wondering what this rash act could mean. In the style of Josey Wales, Judge Kinney was said by his daughter to have offered the Indians either friendship or a fight. Given the circumstances, this was an obvious bluff. But it worked!

Return to West Point:
Upon arrival in Salt Lake City, Judge Kinney assumed his new responsibilities. Due to his years in Lee County, he knew the Mormon leadership and respected their law. Although he was well received, Judge Kinney left the Utah court in 1856, and returned to his farm at West Point. He told the local newspaper that Iowa schools gave his children a better education than those available in Utah. In spring 1857, however, he sold his West Point properties and moved his family west to Nebraska.

A move to Nebraska:
Judge Kinney was named the leader of a group of settlers that were seeking townsites in far eastern Nebraska. Most of the group decided to set down roots at what became the town of Beatrice. Judge Kinney named the town for his oldest child, Julia Beatrice Kinney, who spent most of her childhood years in West Point.