Justice John McKinley Federal Building - Florence, AL
Posted by: Lat34North
N 34° 48.134 W 087° 40.517
16S E 438231 N 3851319
This two side marker is located at U.S. Federal Courthouse and Post Office located at 210 N Seminary St, Florence, AL.
Waymark Code: WMHFZZ
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 07/07/2013
Views: 3
Marker text:
Side 1: Named for Alabama's first United States Supreme Court Justice, John McKinley made his home in Florence, Alabama from about 1821 to 1842. Born May 1, 1780 in Culpepper County, Virginia, he died July 19, 1852 and is buried in Louisville, Kentucky. McKinley was an early setter of Huntsville, Alabama and resided in the Howard Weeden Home. As a member of the Cypress Land Company, he was one of the seven founders of Florence in 1818. McKinley helped establish one of Florence's first schools and its first church. First Presbyterian Church.
Side 2: McKinley was an early benefactor of public education in Alabama by donating land for the current Athens State University and serving on the original Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama. As a local lawyer, he gained regional status as an Alabama Legislator and national status in both the U.S. House and Senate. His work in Congress on the first Florence Canal establishes him as the "Spiritual Father of TVA." While a resident of Florence in 1838, McKinley was sworn in as the 23rd Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court where he served until his death.
Erected by Alabama State Bar Legal Milestone.
Marker Name: Justice John McKinley Federal Building
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information:: Source: McKINLEY, John, (1780 - 1852)
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000519
Senate Years of Service: 1826-1831; 1837-1837
Party: Jacksonian; Democrat
McKINLEY, John, a Senator and a Representative from Alabama; born in Culpeper County, Va., May 1, 1780; moved to Kentucky; studied law; admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of his profession in Louisville, Ky.; moved to Huntsville, Madison County, Ala.; member, State house of representatives 1820-1822; elected as a Jacksonian to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Chambers and served from November 27, 1826, to March 3, 1831; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1830; member, State legislature 1831; moved to Florence, Lauderdale County, Ala.; elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-third Congress (March 4, 1833-March 3, 1835); did not seek reelection; again a member of the State legislature; again elected to the United States Senate, as a Democrat, for the term beginning March 4, 1837, but resigned April 22, 1837, before qualifying; appointed by President Martin Van Buren as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in April 1837, and served until his death in Louisville, Ky., July 19, 1852; interment in Cave Hill Cemetery.
Date Dedicated / Placed: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions: Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.
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