McKee, Tabor W.

MCKEE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/9/2021 at 15:48:50

History of Warren County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns & Etc., by Union Historical Company, 1879, p.444

McKEE, TABOR W. was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, January 2, 1801. His father, John McKee, was a native of Pennsylvania, of Scotch origin; his mother was a Leavell, a descendant of the Huguenots of France. His father was a soldier in the Revolution, fought the Indians under "Mad Anthony Wayne" in 1793-4, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. Tabor W. moved with his father to Wayne county, Indiana, in 1812, where he married Sarah Elliott (a sister of Judge Elliott of Indiana), on the 20th day of October, 1820, by whom he had four children: Malinda, Wm. H., Eliza J. and Edd R.; the first three died prior to his removal to Iowa, the last named is still a resident of Indianola. In 1830 he removed to Henry county, Indiana, where he resided until the 21st of June, 1853, when he moved to Iowa, locating in Indianola, August 8th, 1853. During his residence in Henry county, Indiana, he resided on his farm, and engaged in farming, and buying and driving hogs to Cincinnati. He was one of the commissioners for Henry county, Indiana, from 1834 to 1843. In 1853 he engaged in the mercantile business in Indianola, in the building on the northwest corner of the Square, now occupied as a carpenter shop; he continued in that business until 1855, when he, in company with James Greene, H. H. Patterson and Dan. G. Peck, under the firm name of Greene, McKee & Co., built a saw-mill two miles west of town, on what is now the Frost farm. In 1856 he sold his interest in the mill and built the building now occupied by W. W. Slone as a grocery, and formed a partnership with E. M. LaBoyteaux, and engaged in selling clothing, boots and shoes, etc., under the firm name of McKee & LaBoyteaux. He continued in that business until 1857, when he was elected sheriff of Warren county, and served until January 1st, 1860. In 1861 he was elected treasurer of the county, and in 1863 re-elected to the same office, and served until the first of January, 1866. Politically, he was a staunch Whig until 1856, when he joined the Republican party, to which he belonged at the time of his death. He was a strong friend to the colored race, and during the days of slavery assisted many of them on their "pilgrimage to the north star." He was not a member of any church, but held to the doctrine of the Friends, or Quakers. He was a strong advocate of the temperance cause, and believed in total prohibition. He was a great Bible reader, and on matters pertaining to the Scriptures, was probably the best posted man in the county. He died July 14th, 1871, of erysipelas. His wife is still living; she is seventy-seven years old, and resides with her son, Edd. R. McKee.