Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 349.
 
JOSEPH McKAY

     a prominent citizen of Baker City, Oregon, was born in Espyville, Crawford
county, Pennsylvania, November 20, 1844, and lived there until he was grown,
receiving an education in the common schools.  Joseph was the oldest son of H.
G. McKay, the latter having been born on the ocean, in 1815, while his parents
were coming to America from Ireland.  The family settled in Crawford county,
Pennsylvania, and there he grew up, learning the tanning business, carrying it
on in Crawford county until his death.  He was married in 1840 to Miss Elizabeth
Everheart, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1814.  Mr. McKay died in the county
where he was reared and where he had spent all his life, in 1891, aged
seventy-two years.  Mrs. McKay is still living at Evansburg, Crawford county,
aged seventy-seven years, still active in mind and body, giving promise of being
able to enjoy a much longer season of healthful old age.
     Our subject learned the tanner trade with his father, and at the age of
eighteen went into partnership with him at Evansburg, continuing with him for
three years.  In 1866 he sold out and went into the mercantile business, in
which he continued until 1872, and at that time sold out, having been very
prosperous.  Just at this time the excitement over oil interested everyone in
the neighborhood, and our subject, with many others, made his way to that
region, speculated, and lost all he had.  Not being entirely discouraged he
started west in 1880, stopped first at Dakota, but not altogether liking the
appearance of the country he continued on to Leadville, Colorado.  There he
engaged as a clerk in a grocery store, remaining two years, when he went to
Idaho, engaging in the mercantile business on the Oregon Short Line railroad.
In this business he had for a partner J. T. Fifer.  In 1883 he moved his store
to Oregon, following the railroad, stopped at Huntington, a small town, and in
1884, he removed to Durkee, a small town in Baker county.  He remained there,
and in 1890 he was elected County Clerk of Baker county, and was re-elected in
June, 1892, by 281 majority.
     Our subject was married on March 25, 1884, to Miss Anna Hernon, a native of
Ireland, born in 1860, who came west to Oregon in 1872 with her sisters, her
parents having died when she was young.  Mr. and Mrs. McKay have had two
children born to them, but one of whom is now living, bearing the name of her
mother, Anna.  Mr. McKay is a Republican in his political faith, and carried his
county by over 300 majority at his first election in a county that is largely
Democratic, thus demonstrating his popularity with both parties.  Mr. and Mrs.
McKay are both moral people and Mrs. McKay is a member of the Roman Catholic
Church.  Although Mr. McKay began life a poor boy and never possessed $1 that he
did not earn, he has become a man of means, and no doubt in the near future will
be among the wealthy men of eastern Oregon, as he is interested in some very
valuable mines, which, although they are not paying a dividend, give every
promise of becoming very valuable in the near future.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.