Thomas Kirby
CARRIED MAIL TO M’KINNEY ON HORSEBACK
THOS. A. KIRBY NEARLY NINETY–LIVING HERE WITH SON ED F. KIRBY
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, January 14, 1938
One of McKinney’s oldest citizens is Thos. Alexander Kirby, who , if he reaches his next birthday, March 31, will be ninety years old. He makes his home with his son, former County Treasurer Ed. F. Kirby, 16 North Kentucky Street. Until the last few months, he has been unusually active in mind and body, but his physical condition has not been as good for the past few months.
This dear old father was born at Millville, Henderson County Illinois, twelve miles south of Burlington, Iowa, on March 31, 1845. When he was eighteen years old he came with his parents to Texas in covered wagons–horse drawn. Several families came along in the caravan, taking him two months to make the toilsome trip by that slow mode of travel.
They landed at Rockwall December 11, 1866. Some of the groups of emigrants settled in Dallas County and became leading citizens of that city in after years.
Thos. A. Kirby’s parents were Charlie and Agnes Kirby, who bought land at old Millwood in Southeast Collin on which they lived from 1868 to 1888 when they moved to Haskell, West Texas where both are buried.
Thos. A. Kirby clerked in the general mercantile store of C. L. Jones in Rockwall during the year 1867. In 1870 he had the contract of carrying the mail from old Millwood to McKinney on horseback. James Waller Thomas was Postmaster at that time here at McKinney. His remuneration was 5¢ per letter each way, and papers free. The party receiving the letter did the paying. He had many experiences of an interesting nature during this period of service for Uncle Sam.
Although he is now practically ninety years old, his memory of those early days is vivid and he likes to talk about them.
Mr. Kirby married December 27, 1870 to Miss Martha L. Ellhardt at Millwood. She died twenty years later on March 12, 1890 one mile east of Farmersville and is buried at Old Millwood.
Mr. Kirby has four sons and two daughters living–Chas. B. and Lee Kirby, both of Nevada, in Southeast Collin; Tom Kirby of Dallas, and his son, the former county official, with whom he is residing here in McKinney. His two daughters are Mrs. N. J. Davis and Mrs. J. Q. Davis, whose husbands are brothers and well known citizens of Nevada in Southeast Collin.
These editors join the many other friends of the aged father and veteran Collin citizen in wishing him good health and happiness throughout the new year.
THOS. A. KIRBY NEARLY NINETY–LIVING HERE WITH SON ED F. KIRBY
McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette, January 14, 1938
One of McKinney’s oldest citizens is Thos. Alexander Kirby, who , if he reaches his next birthday, March 31, will be ninety years old. He makes his home with his son, former County Treasurer Ed. F. Kirby, 16 North Kentucky Street. Until the last few months, he has been unusually active in mind and body, but his physical condition has not been as good for the past few months.
This dear old father was born at Millville, Henderson County Illinois, twelve miles south of Burlington, Iowa, on March 31, 1845. When he was eighteen years old he came with his parents to Texas in covered wagons–horse drawn. Several families came along in the caravan, taking him two months to make the toilsome trip by that slow mode of travel.
They landed at Rockwall December 11, 1866. Some of the groups of emigrants settled in Dallas County and became leading citizens of that city in after years.
Thos. A. Kirby’s parents were Charlie and Agnes Kirby, who bought land at old Millwood in Southeast Collin on which they lived from 1868 to 1888 when they moved to Haskell, West Texas where both are buried.
Thos. A. Kirby clerked in the general mercantile store of C. L. Jones in Rockwall during the year 1867. In 1870 he had the contract of carrying the mail from old Millwood to McKinney on horseback. James Waller Thomas was Postmaster at that time here at McKinney. His remuneration was 5¢ per letter each way, and papers free. The party receiving the letter did the paying. He had many experiences of an interesting nature during this period of service for Uncle Sam.
Although he is now practically ninety years old, his memory of those early days is vivid and he likes to talk about them.
Mr. Kirby married December 27, 1870 to Miss Martha L. Ellhardt at Millwood. She died twenty years later on March 12, 1890 one mile east of Farmersville and is buried at Old Millwood.
Mr. Kirby has four sons and two daughters living–Chas. B. and Lee Kirby, both of Nevada, in Southeast Collin; Tom Kirby of Dallas, and his son, the former county official, with whom he is residing here in McKinney. His two daughters are Mrs. N. J. Davis and Mrs. J. Q. Davis, whose husbands are brothers and well known citizens of Nevada in Southeast Collin.
These editors join the many other friends of the aged father and veteran Collin citizen in wishing him good health and happiness throughout the new year.
