WILLIAM FRANKLIN McKAY

WILLIAM FRANKLIN McKAY

So we started following the line of Clara Zadie McKay....her father was Benjamin Harvey McKay and the DNA (33) has led us to William Franklin McKay.

William Franklin McKay was born about 1821 in South Carolina. He married Julia Patterson in Itawamba County, Mississippi on December 30, 1846. Julia was born about 1827 in Georgia. They had five children: James, born about 1848, Mary J., born about 1849, Martha, born about 1851, Benjamin Harvey, born 10-25-1853, and Julia Ann, born 8-1-1856. All were born in Itawamba County.

We find them in the 1850 Census in Mississippi, William is a farmer with a real estate value of $25. 1860 Census from Itawamba County, Mississippi shows that W. F. McKay, 39 years old, was a farmer, had $125 in Personal Estate, was from South Carolina, had 5 children-12, 11, 9, 6, & 3. Benjamin Harvey was the 6 year old and in school. The oldest and youngest were not in school. W. F. McKay wife, Julia was 33 and from Georgia. 1870 their value has risen to $500 and they are still in Mississippi listed as farmers.

Julia died in 1889 and it is recorded that William joined a wagon train headed for Thackerville, Indian Territory (Oklahoma) which is where he passed away. He is 68 years old. His brother, Samuel was on this same train as were Ben and Joseph McKay.

Five Mc kay children moved to Caldwell County, Texas in abt 1889, then to Thackerville and Marietta, Indian Territory, Oklahoma. The exception was Telitha Mc Kay who married Orville Mills and remained in Itawamba and Prentiss counties. This according to info stated in querie in Itawamba Settlers Vol. 1 & 2. 976.2982 D25i

Itawamba County's name is of Indian origin and honors Levi Colbert, chief counsellor of the Chickasaw Nation. Some years prior to 1827, he was declared "It-a-Wam-Ba-Mingo," or "Bench Chief."

Settlers from the north came by way of Jackson's Military Road as well as the famed Natchez Trace. From the east they entered through what is now Marion and Lamar counties in Alabama. Jackson's Military Road extended from the Tennessee River to Madisonville, Louisiana, it was built as a result of an act of Congress passed in 1816. The Old Military Trace Road ran north from Cotton Gin Port through Itawabama County.

Itawamba County, Mississippi was created October 9, 1936 from the Chickasaw Cession of 1832.