Robert Crouch Kinney LAST NAME: Kinney FIRST NAME: Robert MIDDLE NAME: Crouch NICKNAME:  MAIDEN NAME:  AKA 1:  AKA 2:  AKA 3:  TITLE: Mr. GENDER: M MILITARY:  BORN: 4 July 1813 DIED: 2 Mar 1875 BURIED: 2 Mar 1875 ETHNICITY:   OCCUPATION:  Miller; Oregon legislature BIRTH PLACE:  Collinsville, St Clair Co., Illinois DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon NOTES:  IOOF - Robert C. Kinney, age 61 y's, 7 m,'s 26 d's, born in Illinois, died in Salem of injuries in Portland; Owner of R. C. Kinney & Co. Four Mill, 1869 in Salem, Oregon. 1860 OR CENSUS - R.C. Kinney, age 47, occupation farmer, b. Illinois, is enumerated with Albert, age 17, b. Iowa, Augustus, age 15, b. Oregon, Marshall, age 13, b. Oregon, Alfred, age 11, b. Oregon, Josephine, age 8, b. Oregon, William, age 5, b. Oregon, and Eliza, age 2, b. Oregon. BIOGRAPHICAL (source - Mattoon, Rev. C.H., Baptist Annals of Oregon, Vol. 1, ch 5, sketch #13): Hon. Robert Crouch Kinney, 1947 Hon. R. C. Kinney, noted as one of the patrons of McMinnville College, was born of Baptist ancestry, in Illinois, in 1813. He moved to Muscatine, Iowa, in 1838, and to Oregon in 1847. He had only common school advantages, but he had a natural business talent, and was very successful, engaging in large enterprises, by which he became wealthy. He was kind to the poor, just in his dealings, liberal to all. For a time, financially, he nearly carried the church at Salem, and gave it the parsonage adjoining its other property. He stood a firm friend to McMinnville College, and helped the institution through many trying times by generous gifts. He professed religion in Illinois, in 1833. He was a member of the Iowa Constitutional Convention; of the Oregon Territorial Legislature; and of the Constitutional Convention of Oregon. He married in ear1y life, and had an unusually pleasant family, all of whom are Baptists. He died at Salem, March 2, 1875. All business was suspended; the court-house was in mourning; and state officials wept at his funeral As a sample of his generosity when death was near, his son, Dr. Kinney, was summoned at midnight to a distant town; the night was dark and stormy, and the son was reluctant to leave his father. But the father said. "He may be some poor man who cannot pay you, but you must not let him suffer." He once proposed that if the Central Association would put a missionary in the field to preach in the destitute portions of the field, he would put another missionary in the field and keep him there as long as the Association would keep their man in the field. His heart was in this work, and without any show or parade he delighted in God's work, being always ready at every call that was for the advancement of the Redeemer's Kingdom. [Note - The photograph of Robert Kinney was taken from this article] OBITUARY:  GONE TO REST--At twenty minutes past two o'clock yesterday afternoon the noble and generous spirit of Robert C. Kinney took its flight from this vale of tears, to the life immortal. His death was not entirely unexpected for it was generally known that since last Sabbath afternoon he was slowly but surely sinking. As the intelligence passed from lip to lip through the city that he was dead, the dimmed eye and low voice told of the death of a good citizen and a kind neighbor. Mr. Kinney during the past year has met with two severe accidents which doubtless hastened his death. The last one left a spinal prostration from which he never recovered. Up to within a few weeks, however, he has been able to fully direct and conduct the management of his business. It was but a few days since, that we noted his appearance in his wheeled chair upon the street, and hoped that he might soon be seen again as of old upon our thoroughfares, but it was ordered by the Great Ruler, otherwise. Last Friday he was placed in his arm chair by loving hands, and wheeled around his room. He then remarked, "I am taking my last ride, I am going to die, my time is short." Those were the last perfectly intelligible words that he uttered, for shortly afterwards his tongue became partially paralyzed and his utterance was too indistinct to be understood. He, however, retained his senses until Sunday afternoon, when he sank into a stupor that only ended with death. At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon it became evident that the moment of dissolution had arrived. Around his bedside stood his loving wife of nearly half a century, all of his children, his faithful attendant, Mr. S. R. Scott and several others who in life had known him so well. The scene was indeed an affecting one; the children with clasped hands stood clustered around Albert, the first born, and there they asked him, in the presence of him whose life was fast ebbing away, to be to them as kind an advisor and protector as he had been. Albert Kinney will keep the covenant made at that solemn moment.  Robert C. Kinney was born on the 4th day of July in 1813, in St. Clair county, Illinois. He was the youngest of a large family of children, his father dying when he was but eighteen months old. He was married at the age of 20 to Miss Eliza Bigelow. Shortly after his marriage he removed to Muscatine, Iowa, of which city he was one of the principal founders. He engaged there in the milling business successfully for fifteen years, and emigrated to Oregon in 1847. Settling on a land claim in Yamhill County, he carried on a farm for ten years, excepting a short time that he was in the California mines in 1849. He was a member of the Territorial Legislature in early years, and was also a member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1857. He engtaged again in milling about 1858 at McMinnville and at Brooklyn, opposity Portland, and for six or seven years past has been a citizen of Salem, and with his sons, successfully engaged in milling here. Mr. Kinney leaves eight children, as follows; Albert W., Mrs. J. Henry Smith, of Harrisburg, Agustus C., Marshal J., of San Francisco, Dr. Alfred C., of Portland, Mrs. Josephine Walker, of San Francisco, Wm. S. and Eliza of this city. The funeral will take place from the Baptist Church tomorrow at 2 o'clock p.m.  Oregon Statesman 3 March 1875 2:1  FUNERAL OBSEQUIES--The last sad rites were yesterday performed for our late esteemed fellow citizen, Robert C. Kinney. As announced the remains were laid in state in the parlor of his late residence on Trade street, and were visited by a large number of ladies and gentlemen, previous to their removal to the church. The remains were enclosed in a plain metallic casket. A wreath of myrtle and ivy interspersed with daisies, was laid upon it. A silver plate bearing the following inscription was the only ornament: "Robert Crouch Kinney, born July 4th, 1813 near Collinsville, Illinois, Died, Salem, Oregon, March 2d 1875." At half past one o'clock the remains were conveyed to the Baptist Church. As the body and attendants entered the church a selection from Baumbach, "Let the people praise thee," was executed upon the organ by Mrs. Blanche Patterson. The services commenced with the beautiful anthem "Night of the Grave," sung by Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Prentice, Mrs. F. J. Babcock and Mr. J. E. Strong. Then followed the reading of the 103d psalm (one that Mr. K. had often during his late illness, called for) and a portion of the 14th chapter of Job. The beautiful hymn commencing "Why do we mourn departing friends?" was then sun by the choir, follwed by a prayer by Dr. R. C. Hill, of Albany and the hymn "Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep." Then followed a sermon, appropriate to the sad occasion from the 116th psalm "Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints." At the conclusion of the sermon a favorite hymn of the deceased was sung commencing "How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord." The casket was then re-opened and a long last farewell was taken of all that was mortal of Robert C. Kinney, a good citizen, a kind father and a devoted husband. As the slow moving cortege passed through the city, every place of business was closed as a mark of respect for his many virtues and goodness of heart. Mr. Kinneys remains were deposited near the south-west corner of the cemetery, on the top of the hill, directly south of the grave of Mr. S. T. Church, and near the spot where lies the remains of Mr. John Patterson. During the day the flags upon the State departments and the steamer E. N. Cooke were set at half-mast as a mark of respect for the deceased. As one of the pioneers to the shores of the Pacific, Mr. Kinney has done much for his adopted State. Of that class of men who, one by one, are slowly passing from our sight, who came here in the early days of our commonwealth, we can speak of them in no better language than to quote from the address to the Pioneers of Oregon, delivered by Hon. S. F. Chadwick last June, as follows: "If we picture to ourselves men of strong will, fixed principles, full of resources, mentally and physically, generous and humane, self-made and self-controlled, not only equal but superior to every emergency, able to master every trade or profession, we have the Oregon Pioneers. These men are a credit to the sciences of agriculture and mechanics, to the professions, to commerce and its financial dependencies; in short, to every honorable calling. They are the men for the times and generation in which they live, and the world has no place in which she can hide such men. They are leaders in all ages and countries, and in every condition of life. Their heroism in the admiration of mankind. Their reward is in the impulse of doing good. They are never so rich as when struggling in poverty and under adverse circumstances, and never so poor as when, after great success, they find nothing more to achieve. Their conditon bespeaks their character, however humble or exalted their origin, and their labors a glorious destiny." Such men are the benefactors of their race; they will not die, but their memories will be preserved in grateful remembrance by those whom they have benefited. Such a man was Robert C. Kinney, whose body was yesterday laid away in the tomb.  Oregon Statesman 5 March 1875 3:1 Death of R. C. Kinney   A dispatch from Salem, March 2, announces the mournful intelligence that R. C. Kinney, President of the Salem Flouring Mills Co., is dead.  He died at his residence in that city March 2d. Mr. Kinney was one of the founders of the city of Muscatine, Iowa, has served the State of Oregon in the legislature, was an old pioneer (crossing the plains in 1837 [sic]), and a man universally esteemed and respected. He was the principal owner in the largest and most extensive flouring establishment in the State, and its chief business manager.  The funeral takes place today in Salem. Pacific Christian Advocate 4 March 1875 p. 68 INSCRIPTION:  Robert C. Kinney  Born  Near Collinsville, Illinois  July 4, 1813  Immigrated to Oregon in 1847  Died  In Salem March 2, 1875 SOURCES:  LR  LD  DAR pg 55  Saucy 1860 OR CENSUS (Yamhill CO., Chehalem, FA #3203) Mattoon, Rev. C.H., Baptist Annals of Oregon OS 3 Mar 1875 2:1  PCA 4 Mar 1875  OS 5 Mar 1875 3:1 CONTACTS:  LOT: 588 SPACE: 4 SW LONGITUDE:  LATITUDE:  IMAGES: