Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....McKinley, Albert R. July 27, 1877 - 
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Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 31, 2010, 9:42 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 384 - 387
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     ALBERT R. McKINLEY, manager for Oregon of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender 
Company, has been with this well known concern for fourteen years and has 
proven an able and enterprising business man. Born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on 
the 27th of July, 1877, he is a son of Samuel R. and Emily (McDill) McKinley. 
His father, who was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated from a 
college at Wilmington, Delaware, and he and his brother, James R. McKinley, 
walked from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, passing through Chicago at a time when 
it had a population of one hundred and sixty. He engaged in farming in 
Wisconsin, where he owned a large tract of land, and lived there until his 
death, when he was eighty-four years of age. He taught school in that state 
during a number of winters and gave good educations to each of his four 
children. His wife was born in Cairo, Illinois, and was the daughter of an old 
Kentucky family, which had owned slaves in earlier days. Mrs. McKinley died in 
1910, at the age of seventy years. To them were born three children: Albert 
R.; James I., who is engaged in farming near Spokane, Washington; and Mrs. 
Charles Knudson, of West Salem, Wisconsin.

     Albert R. McKinley received his education in the public and high schools 
of West Salem, Wisconsin, and in 1896 went to San Francisco, California, where 
he became a member of the city police force. He served in that capacity for 
six years, rising to the rank of sergeant, and then resigned, while later he 
engaged in the manufacture of bar fixtures, billiard tables and kindred lines. 
He was successful, conducting the business from 1906 to 1914, when he sold out 
and became connected with the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company at Portland, 
as manager of its interests in the northwest. He held that position for a 
number of years and when the business had increased to an extent that 
justified a division of the territory, he became manager of the Oregon 
district, which position he is still filling in a very acceptable manner.

     On December 18, 1908, in San Francisco, California, Mr. McKinley was 
united in marriage to Miss May Mathenie, who was born in Cape Girardeau, 
Missouri, from which state she was taken to San Francisco in babyhood. She is 
a daughter of Rev. and Estelle (Howard) Mathenie, the former a minister of the 
Presbyterian church, who held important pastorates in San Francisco for many 
years, but is now deceased. Her mother, who now makes her home with her 
daughter, Mrs. McKinley, was born in San Francisco and is a daughter of Dr. 
Berry Howard. After the death of her first husband, she became the wife of 
State Senator Wilson T. Hume, of Portland, now deceased. Mrs. McKinley's 
brother, Dr. Berry Howard, served for many years as superintendent of the 
public schools of San Francisco.

     Politically Mr. McKinley is a stanch republican and has always maintained 
a deep interest in public affairs. He was the organizer of the Anti-Blue Law 
League in 1916, at which time it was purposed to rigidly enforce the old laws 
which would virtually close the state to all activities on Sunday. He 
canvassed the state to secure the required twenty-five thousand signatures to 
a petition to put on the general election ballot a repeal of the laws in 
question. He was successful in securing the needed signatures and at the 
ensuing election the repeal won by thirty-three thousand votes, thus wiping 
the "blue" laws off the statute books. Mr. McKinley also waged a strong fight 
against the electric power trust domination in Portland and Oregon, and in 
other ways has shown himself progressive, capable and fearless in matters 
affecting the public interests. In every relation of life he has been true to 
his convictions, has been reliable in his business affairs and constant and 
dependable as a friend and neighbor, so that he commands to a marked degree 
the respect and good will of all who know him.

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