ollin McKinney was born April, 17, 1766, and has a prominent Texas county and Money Magazine’s #1 Best Place to Live named after him, but most residents in Collin County and the City of McKinney know little or nothing about the man. Such is a shame, as Mr. McKinney was a truly remarkable outdoorsman, statesman, righteous man and is, even for Texas, the stuff of legend.
He was physically significant, standing over six feet tall, barrel chested and robust, and lived into his nineties. He had big friends, the likes of Sam Houston and Davy Crockett. In fact, one of the first persons Crockett sought out in Texas, after delivering his famous farewell to his Tennessee constituents of “You can go to hell, I am going to Texas,” was McKinney. And he was so well acquainted because he was a notable gentleman himself – one of five men tasked with drafting the Texas Declaration of Independence and a drafter of the Texas Constitution, McKinney was given the honor of being presented with the quill and inkwell used by all the signers. He was also the oldest delegate at that fateful convention, being 70 years old at the time, already having lived a long life as an outfitter, guide, Indian fighter, businessman, pastor and public servant.
So why are we talking about Collin McKinney now? Because his Sestercentennial, or 250th birthday, is in 2016. And we want to take that opportunity to celebrate the real and legendary man that he was and use the occasion to unite the county in a yearlong party, promote Collin County and its cities to residents and visitors alike, and unveil new attractions and events that will continue to draw tourists to our local area for years to come. Our vision is big, but so is the man that we’re honoring.
He was physically significant, standing over six feet tall, barrel chested and robust, and lived into his nineties. He had big friends, the likes of Sam Houston and Davy Crockett. In fact, one of the first persons Crockett sought out in Texas, after delivering his famous farewell to his Tennessee constituents of “You can go to hell, I am going to Texas,” was McKinney. And he was so well acquainted because he was a notable gentleman himself – one of five men tasked with drafting the Texas Declaration of Independence and a drafter of the Texas Constitution, McKinney was given the honor of being presented with the quill and inkwell used by all the signers. He was also the oldest delegate at that fateful convention, being 70 years old at the time, already having lived a long life as an outfitter, guide, Indian fighter, businessman, pastor and public servant.
So why are we talking about Collin McKinney now? Because his Sestercentennial, or 250th birthday, is in 2016. And we want to take that opportunity to celebrate the real and legendary man that he was and use the occasion to unite the county in a yearlong party, promote Collin County and its cities to residents and visitors alike, and unveil new attractions and events that will continue to draw tourists to our local area for years to come. Our vision is big, but so is the man that we’re honoring.