"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers".  Chapman Publishing Co;
Chicago, 1903. p. 833.

L. D. KINNEY

     The Great Central Railroad, from Salt Lake City to Coos Bay, a thousand
miles long, and the completion of which promises to supply a supreme factor in
the future development of Oregon, is under the supervision of men of large ideas
and indomitable energy, foremost among whom is L. D. Kinney, engineer in chief
of the project and one of the progressive citizens of Portland.  Born in
Jacksonville, Carleton county, New Brunswick, August 26, 1855, Mr. Kinney comes
of a family established in America by his paternal great-grandfather, who was of
Scotch descent, and emigrated from the north of Ireland. He settled in New
Brunswick, where his son, Israel, the paternal grandfather, was born, and
eventually became prominent in the lumber business. Israel Kinney, the father of
L. D., was born in Aramocto, [Oromocto] New Brunswick, and for the greater part
of his business life was engaged in the lumber business on the St. John river.
Considering his time and place the elder Kinney was a very wealthy man, and
among his other interests may be mentioned the New Brunswick Foundry, in which
he was a stockholder and proprietor. At the time of his death in 1858 he left
large landed estates and important business interests. He married Jane Everett,
a native of New Brunswick, and daughter of John Everett, representative of a
well-known Massachusetts family. John Everett, a refugee from Massachusetts,
married a Miss Daniels of England and settled in New Brunswick, where he became
identified with large business interests, chiefly in the line of lumber and
manufacturing. After the death of his first wife Mr. Kinney again married, and
L. D. Kinney is the third oldest child and only son of the five children of the
union. Of the first marriage were born, Aaron, a railroad contractor in
Missouri; Horace, a railroad contractor in Montana; and Solomon and Enoch,
twins, and lumbermen in New Brunswick.

     At the age of three years, L. D. Kinney lost his father by death, but this
sad circumstance did not interfere with his later advantage along educational
lines. For three years he studied in Boston under Prof. R. C. Perkins as tutor,
and at the time read law, but never practically applied his knowledge in this
direction. His active business life was inaugurated in 1878, in which year he
returned from Massachusetts to Prince Edward Island and New Foundland, where he
speculated in real estate and other lines. Later he settled in Virginia and was
one of the pioneers in the new movement to employ [former] slaves and pay them
for ten hours work a day, and this brought down on his head the enmity of his
neighbors and resulted in business disaster to himself. This was between the
years 1883 and 1885, in which latter year he removed to Omaha, and engaged in
manufacturing, his business being known as the Omaha Stamping plant. In 1886 he
located in Salt Lake City, and bought a square mile of property in the city
limits, thereafter promoting the North Salt Lake district, and laid out in the
Kinney & Gaulley addition.  This property was improved and built up, and Mr.
Kinney was for some time the largest real-estate dealer in the city.

     While a resident of Salt Lake City Mr. Kinney became greatly interested in
fancy stock of various kinds, and did about the largest business in that line of
any man in town.  Standard horses, Jersey and Aberdeen Angus cattle, and St.
Bernard dogs were the animals brought to the greatest perfection under Mr.
Kinney‚s management, a specialty being made of dogs, in which he is an excellent
authority.  For twenty years he was the largest breeder of St. Bernard dogs in
America.

     In 1897 Mr. Kinney removed from Portland to Alaska, making the journey on
the first trip of the steamer Elder.  In the northern country he in put a wharf,
promoted the Chilcoot tramway, built a toll station, and instituted various
enterprises of a promotive nature, but the venture did not prove a success.  In
1899 he removed to British Columbia and platted the town of Atlin, built several
buildings, and was identified with the starting up of its general industries.
He later turned his attention to the Chilcoot Railroad, for which he tried to
obtain a franchise from the government, but failed.  Friends in America and
England then became interested in the Grand Central Railroad, and a company was
incorporated in April, 1902, with Mr. Kinney as chief engineer.

     Politically Mr. Kinney is a Republican in national affairs, and in religion
he is a member of the Baptist Church.  Fraternally he is associated with the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Arctic Brotherhood.  He is a
charter member of the Chamber of Commerce.  Through his marriage with Miss
Lovina England [Lavina English], a native of New Brunswick, three children have
been born.



*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2008 by Dick and Judy Wagner.
At the end of 2008, Dick and Judy published a full biography of L. D. Kinney:
"Instigator:  The Troubled Life of Lorenzo Dow Kinney," by Richard and Judith
Wagner.  For more information, contact them at bygones -at- gte.net.