George Kinnear

Birth

30 Jan 1836

Kingston, Ross County, Ohio, USA

Death

22 Jul 1912 (aged 76)

Seattle, King County, Washington, USA

Burial

Lake View Cemetery

Seattle, King County, Washington, USA Show Map

Memorial ID

13938101

Captain GEORGE KINNEAR, Co. B and Co. F, 47th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry and Seattle, Washington Pioneer.

Captain GEORGE KINNEAR was born on January 30, 1836 near Kingston, Ohio, which is just on the Ross County side of the Ross County/Pickaway County line. Some records say he was born in Ross County, while others say he was born in Pickaway County. George was the son of Charles Kinnear and Ellenor A. (Ritchey) Kinnear. Charles Kinnear was born c. December 30, 1808 in Pickaway Township of Ross County, Ohio. Charles was married on March 31, 1831 in Ross County, Ohio to Ellenor "Ellen" Ritchey, who was born c. 1809/10 the daughter of George Ritchey. Five children are known to have been born to Charles and Ellenor. They include;
1. Eliza (or Elizabeth) Kinnear, born on ___________ __, 1833 near Kingston, Ross County, Ohio; Eliza was married to Calvin Glazebrook Davidson, who was born in 1826, the son of Caleb Davidson and Martha Elizabeth (Glazebrook) Davidson; Eliza and Calvin are found in Olio Township in Woodford County, Illinois at the time of the 1860 census;
Calvin G Davidson M 34 Ky
Eliza Davidson F 25 Ohio
Welden O Davidson M 4 Ill
Calvin E Davidson M 2 Ill

At the time of the 1880 census, they are found in Eureka, Woodford, Illinois;
Self Calv G Davidson M 53 Kentucky
Wife Eliza Davidson F 46 Ohio
Daughter Caddie A Davidson F 11 Illinois
Daughter Annie M Davidson F 8 Illinois
Daughter Capitola Davidson F 20 Illinois

Eliza (Kinnear) Davidson died on February 26, 1913, while Calvin Glazebrook Davidson died on Nov. 12, 1915 and their mortal remains were laid in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois; See their Find A Grave sites for more information about them and their family.

2. George Kinnear, born January 30, 1836 near Kingston, Ross County, Ohio; See his biography below.

3. Rachel Ellen Kinnear, born c. 1840 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

4. John Ritchey Kinnear; born July 26, 1842 in either Tippecanoe County, Indiana or back in Ross County, Ohio; John was married to Rebecca Means, who was born on March 14, 1844; they later joined his brother and his family in Seattle, Washington, where John died on March 31, 1912; See his Find A Grave site for more information about him, his service in the Civil War and his family.

5. Lockwood A. Kinnear, born c. 1846/47, most likely in Ross County, Ohio; died on July 20, 1910 in Seattle, Washington and his mortal remains were laid in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, King County; See his Find A Grave site for more information about him and his family.

The Kinnear family is known to have resided near Kingston, Ohio, most likely on the Ross County, Ohio side of the Ross County/Pickaway County line. About 1839, the family is believed to have moved briefly to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, where they are said to have lived initially in a log cabin at Lafayette, Indiana on the banks of the Wabash and then on Flint Creek. Making his own bricks, Charles is said to have erected a brick dwelling with a walnut interior. By 1845/46, if not sooner, the Kinnear family, however, returned to Ross County, Ohio, where they are found at the time of the 1850 census;
At the time of the 1850 census, as stated above, the Kinnear family is found in Ross County, Ohio;
Charles Kinnear M 40 Ohio, United States
Ellen Kinnear F 40 Ohio, United States
Eliza Kinnear F 16 Ohio, United States
George Kinnear M 14 Ohio, United States
Rachel Kinnear F 10 Ohio, United States
John Kinnear M 8 Ohio, United States
Lockwood Kinnear M 4 Ohio, United States
Mary Bell F 22 Ohio, United States

About 1851, Charles and Ellenor packed up their family and headed west to Illinois, where they settled in the Walnut Grove area of Tazewell County, near Washington, Illinois. Carol Dorward in a paper about the Bogardus and Kinnear families that was written for the cemetery walks that are held in the Old Washington City Cemetery and Glendale Cemetery wrote the following. "A family by the name of Charles and Eleanor Ritchie Kinnear moved from Ohio to Walnut Grove in 1851. In those days, the post office was at Washington and Washington was the center for most of the family's trading. The Kinnears had several children including a son, George. George in a "home-coming" letter written to A. G. Danforth and later (1924) published in SEATTLE AND ENVIRONS, George writes of his early life in the Walnut Grove and Washington areas. He writes, 'Near by where we built our house was the old camp ground of the Potawatamies. Their camp ground was strewn with pieces of flint and arrow heads and their old trails leading off in different directions remained................Most of the country between Walnut Grove and Washington was wet, with many ponds and sloughs. The road was anywhere we saw fit to drive (always aiming, however, to keep on the top of the sod). In driving across sloughs, we would drive at a run for fear of going through, but if we got into a rut or the sod broke, we were stuck. During the summer time, I went to Washington twice a week to have the prairie plows sharpened and while the work was being done I would stroll about and peer into the little stores and shops, which were interesting to the boy raised on the farm and not used to town life. I remember one day seeing at Washington a bunch of little girls wading about barefoot in the mud like a lot of little ducks. One of them was little five-year-old Angie Simmons." About two years later, about 1853, George continued, "When I was seventeen years old I went to work in A. H. Danforth's store, where I remained about four months."
At the time of the 1860 census, the Kinnear family is found in Olio Township in Woodford County, Illinois;
Charles Kinnear M 51 Ohio
Eleanor A Kinnear F 51 Ohio
George Kinnear M 22 Ohio
Rachael Kinnear F 19 Ind
John Kinnear M 17 Ohio
Lockwood Kinnear M 14 Ohio

At the time of the 1870 census, the Kinnear family is found in Woodford County, Illinois;
Charles Kinnear M 62 Ohio
Ellen Kinnear F 61 Ohio
Lambert Kinnear M 22 Illinois
Josephene Ward F 16 Illinois
William Bradley M 22 Ohio

Ellenor A. (Ritchey) Kinnear died on Dec. 27, 1884, while Charles Kinnear died on December __, 1892 in Woodford County, Illinois. Their mortal remains were laid in the Mount Zion Cemetery near Eureka, Woodford County, Illinois.

Now to continue with the biography of George Kinnear;
On August 16, 1861, George Kinnear went into Peoria, Illinois where he volunteered to serve in a company that was being organized by Daniel L. Miles for service in the Union Army during the Civil War. Daniel L. Miles was initially elected by the men of this company to serve as their Captain and was mustered in as such on August 16, 1861. This company became Co. B of the 47th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. However, nine days later, Daniel L. Miles was selected among the officers of the 47th to serve as it's Lieutenant Colonel and he was mustered in as such on August 25, 1861.
George Kinnear was elected by the men of Co. B to serve as their 1st Sergeant and he was mustered in as such on August 16, 1861.

ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES
Illinois Civil War Detail Report

Name KINNEAR, GEORGE Rank 1SGT
Company B Unit 47 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence CRUGER, WOODFORD CO, IL
Age 25 Height 6' Hair BLACK
Eyes GRAY Complexion FAIR
Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity ROSS CO, OH

Service Record
Joined When AUG 16, 1861
Joined Where PEORIA, IL
Joined By Whom D G MILES
Period 3 YRS Muster In AUG 16, 1861
Muster In Where
Muster In By Whom
Muster Out
Muster Out Where
Muster Out By Whom
Remarks PROMOTED 2LT

On August 25, 1861, when Capt. Miles was elected and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, the men elected 1st Lieutenant Joseph B.Miles to be their new Captain, 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Biser to be their new 1st Lieutenant and 1st Sergeant George Kinnear to be their new 2nd Lieutenant.
On May 16, 1863, when Captain Joseph B. Miles was promoted to Major, 1st Lieutenant Benjamin F. Biser was elected and promoted to Captain of Co. B and 2nd Lieutenant George Kinnear was elected and promoted to 1st Lieutenant.
On August 21, 1863, when Captain George H. Carter, of Co. F of the 47th Illinois resigned, 1st Lieutenant George Kinnear was selected to serve as the new Captain of Co. F of the 47th Illinois. He served the remainder of the war as Captain of Co. F and was mustered out of the service as such on October 11, 1864 after having served his country in uniform for more than three years. During the course of the war, the men of the 47th Illinois were engaged in the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Red River Campaign and the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana.
On August 7, 1862, George's younger brother, John R. Kinnear, volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in the Eureka and El Paso, Illinois of Woodford County by William S. Magarity, who had been the first man elected to serve as Woodford County Sheriff in the 1840's. this company would soon become Co. A of the 86th Illinois and John was elected by the men of this company to serve as their 2nd Corporal. John would eventually be elected to serve as Sergeant of this company and he would be mustered out as such on June 6, 1865 after having served his country in uniform for nearly three years.
In the papers that Carol Dorward wrote for the cemetery walks, Carol continued, "During the war, Captain George Kinnear sent his earnings home to his mother for her care and household expenses. However, when he returned home, his mother handed him thirty-six hundred dollars -- his pay. 'With a mother's sacrifice and devotion, however, she had saved it all for him and he invested his capital in a herd of cattle, which he fed through the winter and sold at a profit in the following spring, using the proceeds to purchase two sections of Illinois land. He thus became identified with farming interests and was also called to public office, serving from 1864 until 1869 as county clerk of Woodford County, Illinois, and discharging his duties with fidelity and ability.'"
George Kinnear in his "home-coming" letter continued, "In 1865 the war was over and I was at home.............I bought a brand new buggy and a nice team. I started out on the morning of the Fourth of July to see what I might find....Meeting my old friends, Diego Ross, he at once introduced me to a handsome girl. I offered to find her a seat, which she accepted. Considering the circumstances of our new acquaintance with each other and the courtesies due from one to the other, we paid reasonably good attention to the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the oration, and at the conclusion of the same I drove with her in my buggy to her home and there engaged her company for the evening to view the fireworks." Carol Dorward then wrote, "Such began the romance that would result in the marriage of George Kinnear and Angeline Simmons", one of the little five year old barefoot girls that he had seen splashing in the mud in Washington back in 1851.
On March 28, 1867, George Kinnear (misspelled Kismear) is recorded as having been married to Angeline Catherine "Angie" Simmons in Tazewell County, Illinois. Angie was born c. August 9, 1845 in Illinois, the daughter of David Simmons and Eliza (Maris) Simmons. At the time of the 1850 census, the Simmons family is found in Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois;
David Simmons M 40 Vermont
Eliza Simmons F 43 Maryland
Harriet Simmons F 17 New York
Francis Simmons F 14 Vermont
Lacy Simmons F 9 Illinois
John Simmons M 7 Illinois
Angaline Simmons F 5 Illinois
Eudocia Simmons F 4 Illinois
David Simmons M 2 Illinois

At the time of the 1860 census, Angeline is found residing with William B. Bogardus and his family in Washington, Tazewell County, Illinois. Bogardus would soon be Captain William B. Bogardus, of Co. G of the 86th Illinois;
Wm B Bogardus M 37 N Y
Angeline Bogardus F 35 Mo
Helen Bogardus F 7 Ill
Wm Bogardus M Ill
Angeline Simmons F 15 Ill

Three children are known to have been born to George and Angie. They include;
1. Charles Allee Kinnear, born March 22, 1868 in Woodford County, Illinois; believed to have attended the Law School at the University of Michigan and graduated with the Class of 1890; married to Grace Potter (1880 - 1939) on __________ __, 18__ at ___________ County, __________; Grace was the daughter of Clement and Helen Rozella (Bogardus) Potter; Charles died on November 5, 1956 and his mortal remains were laid in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, King County, Washington; See his Find A Grave site for more information about him and his family.

2. George L Kinnear, born on November 26, 1875 in Woodford County, Illinois; died on November 13, 1881 in King County, Washington and his mortal remains were laid in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, King County, Washington; See his Find A Grave site.

3. Roy John Kinnear, born April 27, 1881 in Seattle, King County, Washington; married to Myrn B. Cosgrove (1885 - 1963) on ___________ __, 19__ at __________ County, Washington; Roy died on December 26, 1959 in Seattle, King County, Washington and his mortal remains were laid in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, King County, Washington; See his Find A Grave site for more information about him and his family.

Carol Dorward in her papers for the cemetery walks continued that after retiring from his office as the Woodford County Clerk, George "concentrated his attention upon the cultivation and improvement of his land and while conducting his farming operations he would purchase corn in the fall and place it in cribs, selling it when market conditions were most favorable. In the mean time George Kinnear had been studying condition in relation to the development of the Pacific Northwest. He first became interested in the Puget Sound country in 1864......He believed that one day a great city would be built there, and in 1874 he made a trip to the northwest, visiting various sections of this region. He was most favorably impressed with the site of Seattle and before returning to Illinois purchased what is known as the G. Kinnear addition of the south side of Queen Anne hill. He then returned home and hour years later, or in 1878 (took) his family to (Washington) state. Realizing the fact that property in Seattle would in time become very valuable, he disposed of his Illinois land at fifty dollars per acre and invested the proceeds in city real estate, much of which rose rapidly in price......Just how far his efforts and influence extended in the upbuilding of the northwest it is impossible to determine, but it is a recognized fact that Mr. Kinnear's work in behalf of Seattle was far reaching, effective and beneficial."
At the time of the 1880 census, George and Angie are found in Seattle, King County, Washington, where he is listed as a Money Lender;
Self Geo Kinnear M 43 Ohio
Wife Angie C Kinnear F 34 Illinois
Son Georgie L Kinnear M 4 Illinois
Son Charles A Kinnear M 12 Illinois
Mother-in-law Eiza Simmons F 73 Indiana

In 1886 work was begun on a new home for the Kinnear, that became known as the Kinnear Mansion. It was completed in 1888 and was located on two and a half acres at the foot of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington. There are several pictures of the mansion, which was demolished in 1958, on the internet. George Kinnear and his family resided here until his death and his son, Charles, and his family resided there for many years after that.
At the time of the 1900 census, George and Angeline are found in what is called Ward 8 of the City of Seattle, King County, Washington. At this time, George and Angeline are recorded as having been married 36 years and they had had three children, two of whom are living;
Head George Kennear M Jan 1836 64 Ohio
Wife Angeline E Kennear F Aug 1845 55 Illinois
Son Chas A Kennear M Mar 1868 32 Illinois
Son J Roy Kennear M Apr 1881 19 Washington
Niece Eva Simons F Dec 1892 8 Washington
Servant Ida Poller F 19 Oregon

At the time of the 1910 census, George and Angie are found residing in Ward 3 of the City of Seattle, King County, Washington;
Head George Kinnear M 74 Ohio
Wife Angie Kinnear F 64 Illinois
Granddaughter Eva S Kinnear F 19 Washington
Servant Annie Peterson F 20 Minnesota

Captain George Kinnear died on July 22, 1912, in Seattle, Washington, while Angeline Catherine (Simmons) Kinnear died on July 10, 1928. Their mortal remains were laid in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, King County, Washington. It should be noted that the City of Seattle, Washington still honors George Kinnear by having bout a beautiful Kinnear Park and a Kinnear Boulevard. Carol Dorward, also noted in her papers that, "It might also be noted that George Kinnear was credited as being the single individual most responsible for the averting of the Chinese riots of 1885-1886 in Seattle and the northwest."

In the papers that Carol Dorward put together for the cemetery walks, she included a part of the "home-coming" letter that George wrote. She states that "Not only was George Kinnear a man of vision, but he was an excellent writer. His homecoming letter to A. G. Danforth provides a glimpse into the local (Washington, Illinois) lanscape of the 1850's and 1860's."
In this letter, George Kinnear wrote, "But take me back, take me back to the times when Nature was clothed in her natural garments; when the log cabin was the only dwelling place of the settler; when rough logs chinked with mud and sticks, a rough stone chimney, a puncheon floor, a clapboard roof, the latchstring hanging out, were both hut and palace. In those times the forest trees, untouched by the woodman's axe, stood in their native beauty. The woods were full of wild fruit--the wild cherries, the wild plums, carbapples, mulberries, hackberries, elderberries, gooseberries, black currants, wild grapes and May apples, red haws, black haws, acorns, chinkapins, hickory nuts and walnuts, pawpaws and persimmons, and wild honey in nearly every hollow tree. Of the game birds, there were droves of wild turkeys, pheasants, quails, doves, woodpeckers, yellow hammers, plovers and sap suckers. Of the animals, the deer, squirrel, 'coon, 'possum, rabbit, wolf and fox. The streams teamed with fish."
"I looked up into the sky and saw the myriads upon myriads of wild pigeons. They were in columns extending from horizon to horizon and to the north and south as far as eye could see; at times they almost darkened the sun, and out on the prairie I saw millions of wild geese, ducks, brants and cranes sporting about the sloughs and ponds, their quacking, screaming, chirping and whirring of wings sounding like distant thunder. Out in another direction on the dry ground I saw the prairie chickens. They were almost as numerous as the water fowl! They were crowing and cackling and chasing each other around in the grass. Among the birds or off by themselves were herds of deer feeding on the prairie grass."
"Here was the sportman's paradise. He would never consent to be transported with joy to another land. From his flocks and herds he would supply the table with the choicest venison, geese, ducks and prairie hens to suit the guests at the sumptuous feast. This was the joyful place for the rugged, barefoot boy, bareheaded on a bareback horse, with a gun and a dog by his side. With what joy, after following the deer across the plain, would he carry home to his mother the trophy of the chase. This was the place for the rosy-cheeked girl clad in her linsey dress, in a bewildering mass of wild flowers, trailing vines and rustling leaves, as happy as the feathered songsters that surrounded her and sang with her their delight in the beautiful scene. What a treat it would be now to go back with our baskets into those woods and gather the nuts as they fall from the trees, to pull down the black haw bush and gather the richest berry that grows, and the sweet persimmons we'd gather, too. Father down the wood lies the narrow pawpaw patch, and from among its leaves we'd pick the ripe, juicy fruit and at last start for home, our baskets filled to the brim. Let us go home, to out old home again. We see the large fireplace, the wide hearth, the old Dutch oven in which mother baked her bread and boiled the mush before the fire. The table is spread with the bread mother baked, the bowls of mush and milk, the roasted game the hunter brought, the bake potatoes and luscious fruit and the pumpkin pie mother made from the flat pie pumpkin. A barefoot boy is squatting on the floor and with the mush pot between his legs is scrapping the kettle for the crust. Out in the woods, we hear the wild turkey gobble; the drumming of the pheasant and the nuts dropping from the trees; we see the waving of the tree tops and hear the rustling of the leaves, the song of the birds and the barking of the squirrels and watch them leap from tree to tree. They are all our friends............."

Captain George Kinnear was a eloquent writer and I think what he wrote would make just about anyone want to go back to that time. He was also a great Patriot, one of many that we should never forget. Join is today as we remember Captain George Kinnear, pioneer and patriot.

by Baxter B. Fite III and Carol Dorward, of Washington, Illinois.

(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Kinnear family, who might be able to add to the biographical material that we have on George Kinnear and the Kinnear family. Baxter would also like to see copies of other pictures of George Kinnear added to his Find A Grave site for all to see.)

Buried at Lake View Cemetery Seattle