He was among the first settlers in Russell County and a founder of the city of Russell, Kansas. But before he even arrived in Kansas, the competent and adventurous Asa Kinney had lived a lifetime of experiences and accomplished achievements that most people only aspire to.  We present here the story of the eldest member of the First Class of the Russell County Kansas Hall of Fame. 

 

Asa Kinney was born at Homer, Courtland County, New York, on May 21, 1810. He was the fourth son of were Abel and Freelove (Randall) Kinney, of Homer, Cortland County, New York, Originally from New London, Connecticut, the Kinneys were among the early settlers of Cortland County, and Abel was a man of local prominence and influence. Asa received a good common school education, deriving great benefit from a town library and a debating club, in which he was an active member. He resided in Homer, New York, in Preston City, Connecticut, and then in Cattaraugus County, New York. A man of strong character and of executive ability, Asa held several town offices during this time and served as a lieutenant colonel in the New York militia.

 

On September 15, 1830, Asa married Diana Spicer of Preston City, Connecticut, who passed away on May 2, 1834, in Conewango, New York. They had three children – Asa, Alura, and Eunice.  On January 15, 1835, Asa married Lucretia Grinnell of Rutledge, New York.  They had one daughter, Freelove.  

 

Asa landed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 3, 1836, and two days later he settled on a farm at Oak Creek.  That September his wife Lucretia passed away at Oak Creek, and on March 15, 1837, Asa married Delia Ann Rawson of Oak Creek.  They had ten children – Abel, Asa, Electa, Oliver, Sarah, Athelia, Francis, Martin, Mary, and Charles. 

 

Asa held several town offices in Oak Creek and was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Henry Dodge as one of the first justices of the peace in Milwaukee County.  Though a young man of 36, his friends and constituents showed confidence in him by electing him the member of the Wisconsin Constitutional Convention from Milwaukee County in 1846. He served on the Committee on Organization and Officers of Counties and Towns, Their Powers and Duties, and was noted for his good, solid sense, if not for his speech making.  Asa then served one term, 1848-1849, in the Wisconsin State Senate.

 

In 1852 Asa left Wisconsin and settled in Plumas County, California, where he worked as a miner along Poorman’s Creek.  Because of his experience along legislative lines in Wisconsin, Asa became the first man to have the honor of representing Plumas County in the California State Assembly. He was elected to the position in 1853 and served one two-year term. This is still known as one of the Assembly’s most historic sessions, made so by the great contest between the dueling candidates for California United States Senator, William Gwin and David Broderick. In this political power struggle Asa played a prominent part, being chosen as the Gwinn candidate for Speaker of the State Assembly and the leader of Gwin’s forces. The contest was protracted and bitter, and Asa lost being elected Speaker of the Assembly by only four votes on the third ballot.  

 

After his term in the Assembly was over Asa went back to Wisconsin and settled in Brooklyn in Green Lake County. He was appointed in 1858 by Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall colonel of the militia of Wisconsin. Asa served as sergeant-at-arms for the Wisconsin State Senate in 1859 and 1860.  He then moved to the town of Ripon, Wisconsin.

 

When the Civil War broke out in 1861 Asa volunteered as a private in the Ripon Rifles, which afterwards became part of the Fourth Wisconsin Infantry. Asa was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant. He was discharged due to ill health, but recovered and was then commissioned both first lieutenant and quartermaster in the First Wisconsin Cavalry. Asa joined the regiment at Eastport, Mississippi, and remained with it until the close of the war, achieving the rank of colonel.  While he was away his wife Delia died at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1863. They were married for 26 years.

 

After the war Asa returned to Ripon. He worked as a land and insurance agent for several years and for a time he was a director and agent of the Madison Mutual Insurance Company.  In 1867 Asa served on the Ripon (Wisconsin) Common Council and for two years was the city’s Street Commissioner. 

 

In 1871 Asa became part of the Northwestern Colony Association, also known as the Wisconsin Colony, which consisted of citizens from the towns of Ripon, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The colony was organized at Ripon in January 1871 with the intention of locating in Kansas and numbered about seventy members.  Asa was appointed president and general agent for the colony.  An advance committee of three went ahead to Kansas and selected Russell County as the best place to settle.  On April 17, 1871, the colony left Ripon by rail. One passenger coach was provided for their exclusive use.  The colony arrived at Fossil Station, now called Russell, two days later, on April 19th.  Their special coach and three box cars were left by the railroad and served as houses for the colonists until they could erect suitable buildings to live in.  Several of the colonists brought with them houses premade and fitted, so that all they had to do was put them together. Asa Kinney brought this kind of house with him to live in. He was sixty-one years old at the time the colony arrived at Fossil Station.

 

Asa would serve in the coming years as Russell City Clerk, Russell City Police Judge, Russell County Clerk of the District Court, and thirteen years as Russell Township Justice of the Peace.  On November 15, 1878, Asa married for the fourth time, to Mrs. Rachel C. Wilson in the bride’s home in Russell.  That same year he helped to establish the First Congregational Church in Russell.

 

In late 1885 Asa Kinney began ailing slowly over several months. Recognizing his final illness, he retired from all positions and quietly awaited his death, which came on October 3, 1886 at the age of 76 in Russell. His memorial service was attended by most of the city, with final rites being observed by Russell’s Larrabee Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) post, of which Asa was a member. He was laid to rest in the Russell City Cemetery.

 

“Thus passes off the stage of life a man who has been a prominent actor, who has made many friends who will miss him from the affairs of life.” – From Asa Kinney’s obituary in The Journal, Russell, Kansas, October 6, 1886.

 

During the first week of November 1886 numerous newspapers across the state of Kansas reported the story of the Grand Army of the Republic old soldier’s reunion held at Russell the last week of October 1886. The event was named “Camp Asa Kinney” as a tribute to the recently deceased old soldier and leader. During the event two babies were born on the grounds, and one of them was christened “Asa Kinney”. 

 

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SOURCES:

The Journal, Russell, Kansas, October 6, 1886.

 

Russell Record, October 7, 1886.

 

Atchison Daily Champion, October 16, 1886. 

 

Russell County News, February 2, 9, & 23, 1933, “Colonel Asa Kinney and the Wisconsin Colony: One of the Founders of Russell”, written by Margaret Cameron Eastland-Ruppenthal in 1930 for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

 

Prepared by H. A. Tenney and David Atwood, Memorial Record of the Fathers of Wisconsin, Containing Sketches of the Lives and Careers of the Members of the Constitutional Conventions of 1846 and 1847-1848, with a History of Early Settlement in Wisconsin, “Hon. Asa Kinney”, (1880).

 

Fariss and Smith, Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 (1882).

 

William G. Cutler, History of the State of Kansas, “Asa Kinney” (1883).

 

Oscar Tully Shuck, Bench and Bar in California: History, Anecdotes, Reminiscences (1889).

 

Milo Milton Quaife, The [Wisconsin] Convention of 1846, Vol. 27 (1919).

 

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Kinney, “Asa Kinney”.

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Asa Kinney photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. 

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