Biographical Sketch of Price Witter Kinney

Lyons, Wayne County, NY

Pictured is Price Witter Kinney (1884-1964), son of long-time Lyons High School principal Worthy Hanks Kinney, taken in the mid-1890s by Gehring, Lyons, N.Y. Price's parents weren't originally "from around here." A History of Old Tioga Point and Early Athens, Pennsylvania, has a brief biographical sketch of his maternal great-grandfather, Samuel H. MacAfee. His parents were Annie MacAfee, daughter of Joel MacAfee and Sybil Gates, and of Tioga County PA, and Worthy H. Kinney of Allegany County NY. Already on our site is a short biographical sketch about his father, who was Lyons High principal for many years from the 1890s through first quarter of the 20th century.

Price first appears in the 1900 census of Lyons. The household was made up of "Warren" H. Kinney (age 44, b. April 1856, fa. b. CT, occupation not given), Annie M. Kinney (age 41, b. April 1859, married 18 years, 2 children, 2 living), Price W. Kinney (age 15, son, b. Oct. 1884), and Edith Kinney (age 14, daughter, b. April 1886).

Price W. Kinney was valedictorian and the only male graduate of the Lyons High School Class of 1901, at which time his father was Principal. Price attended Cornell University between 1902 and 1905/6, and graduated from Cornell in either 1905 or 1906.

In April 1910, 24-year-old Price W. Kinney was a boarder in the home of Andrew J. and Emma Hull in the city of East Orange NJ, his occupation a clerk in insurance. That year he either moved back closer to home or was working in Rochester on a job assignment:

Lyons Republican, November 25, 1910

Price Kinney, who is located in Rochester at present, where he is installing improved business methods for a construction company, both in their offices and throughout their factory, was home yesterday to eat Thanksgiving dinner with his parents and sister.

Price took a position with consultants Clinton H. Scovell & Co. of Boston, and somewhere met and courted high school teacher Miriam Rice, daughter of Stillman Rice and Martha A. Smith of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Lyons Republican, June 21, 1912

Lyons Young Man's Engagement Announced to Massachusetts Young Lady.

At an informal gathering of the Sewing Bee on Saturday afternoon the hostess, Miss Miriam Rice, daughter of Stillman Rice, announced her engagement to Price W. Kinney of Lyons, N.Y. Mr. Kinney, who graduated from Cornell in 1905 is now on the staff of C. H. Scovell & Company, public accountants and engineers of Boston.- Gloucester (Mass.) Daily Times.

Price W. Kinney is the son of Prof. and Mrs. W. H. Kinney of this village. Since his graduation from Cornell he has followed the line of work for which his course in mechanical engineering fitted him, and he has been exceptionally successful. He has been sent to distant cities on important missions and in each case he has acquitted himself with honor. No date has been set for the nuptials, but they will take place within the year. Lyons friends extend congratulations.

Price and Miriam might have delayed taking a honeymoon to Bermuda. On April 21, 1913, Price W. Kinney, age 28, and Miriam Kinney, age 26, arrived from Bermuda in New York City on the ship Bermudian. Price declared that he was born 1884 at Cuba N.Y., and his address in the U.S. was 15 Gibson St., Leominster, Mass. Miriam was born in 1886 in Gloucester N.Y. [should be Mass.]

Price had one other sibling that can be determined so far. The accomplished Edith, who was two years his junior, passed away two weeks prior to her impending nuptials. Her death probably took place July 30, and funeral August 2.

The Buffalo Express, August 1, 1913

LYONS GIRL IS DEAD

Miss Edith Kinney was to Have Been Married on August 12th.

Special to the Buffalo Express.

Lyons, July 31- Miss Edith Kinney, only daughter of Principal Worthy H. Kinney of the Lyons high school, died this morning at her home, No. 24 Queen street, following a short illness from pneumonia.

She was born at Cuba, Allegany county, in 1886 and came to this village with her parents about 26 years ago. She was a graduate of the Lyons high school and of Vassar college. For the last four years she had been teaching in the public schools at Fairport.

During vacation she had been at home preparing for her marriage to Fred Hartwell of New York, which was to have taken place on August 12th. Surviving are her father, mother and one brother, Price Kinney.

[Note: The Edith Kinney Memorial English Prize was set up by her parents in her honor.]

Lyons Republican, August 8, 1913

Funeral of Miss Edith Kinney

The funeral of Miss Edith Kinney, daughter of Prof. and Mrs. W. H. Kinney, whose sad death occurred Wednesday night of last week, was held from the home at noon Saturday. Rev. F. W. Kneeland, of Wolcott, a former Lyons pastor and close friend of the family, officiated. The remains were taken to Rochester on the 1.41 New York Central train for interment at Riverside Cemetery. Brief services were held at the grave, also conducted by Rev. Mr. Kneeland.

The bearers were: Carlton A. Blaine of Geneva, Fred. W. Hartwell of Jefferson, N.Y., William Cross, a cousin, of Rochester. Dr. F. E. Metcalf and Clarence Weeks of this village, and Price W. Kenny, the brother, of Boston, Mass.

The funeral was largely atended by friends of the deceased and family who came, some of them, from distant points to pay their respects to the memory of the young lady whose death came at such an untimely day. Among those present were Vassar classmates, former pupils, and members of the faculty and friends from Marcellus, pupils, teachers and friends from Fairport, and others from Rochester, Geneva, Newark and Clyde.

A week later, her parents returned with Price and Miriam to Leominster MA for a visit.

Lyons Republican, August 15, 1913

Prof. and Mrs. W. H. Kinney returned to Leominster, Mass., with their son, Price W. Kinney and his wife last Saturday. They will spend about two weeks there, getting back to Lyons in time for Mr. Kinney to attend to his school duties.

In the 1914 directory of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Price W. Kinney is listed under the city of Fairhaven, working as a manager for the Atlas Tack Co., his home on Centre St.

Price Witter Kinney registered for the WWI draft in September 1918 in Rochester, NY, where he resided at 38 Berkshire St. He was an employment manager at the Gleason Works at 1000 University Ave. Price stated that he was born October 9, 1884 and his closest contact was his wife, Miriam R. Kinney. Price was tall with blue eyes and brown hair.

In the 1920 census, enumerated January 2, 1920, Price was erroneously listed as "Pierce" W. Kinney and still resided at 38 Berkshire St., Rochester. Age 35, he was an employment manager at "Gleasons." Wife Miriam R., age 33, was born Massachusetts, father same, and mother born New Hampshire. Daughter Edith was 4 months old.

Little can be found on line about Price's life after this time. Further research should be done in Allegany County NY, where there were other Kinney relatives and where he was born, and Warsaw, Wyoming County NY, where he appears to have permanently relocated.

* Lyons Republican, unknown date in December 1924

Mr. and Mrs. Price Kinney and daughter, Esther of Warsaw spent Thanksgiving Day with Professor and Mrs. W. H. Kinney.

* Lyons Republican, Dec. 26, 1924

Prof. and Mrs. Worthy H. Kinney spent Christmas with their son, Price Kinney, at Warsaw.

* The Olean Evening Times, June 17, 1925

Belfast, June 17
Mr. and Mrs. Price W. Kinney of Warsaw and Mr. and Mrs. Eaton Kinney of Caneadea were callers at W.C. Kinney's Tuesday.

The Lyons Republican, March 4, 1927, has a long article about his father Prof. Worthy H. Kinney resigning the principalship of Lyons High School after 39 years. The article mentions that on Dec. 22, 1920, a day before Christmas vacation, the Lyons Union School building burned and "there was nothing left except the principal, teachers and pupils, there being not a record or scrap of paper remaining in the building." Also, "When Mr. Kinney first came to Lyons, he rented the house where he still lives for one year and then bought it of the late Dr. Sutherland and has resided there ever since. A few days ago he sold the house ot Mrs. Frederic E. Foster. It is one of the landmarks of this village. The house was constructed by the late Deacon Newell Taft, who was a prominent figure in Lyons during his life time and his home was the center of social activity. The house was constructed by Deacon Taft nearly one hundred years ago."

An article in the March 17, 1927 Rochester Democrat & Chronicle noted that Prof. Kinney was principal of the Cuba (N.Y.) Union School from 1881 to 1888. Both Price and his sister Edith were born in that village. Mr. Kinney was principal of the Victor Union School for one year following his graduating from University of Michigan in 1880. He was also a graduate of Geneseo Normal School.

By 1930 Price was proprietor of the box factory in Warsaw, which was in existence at least a quarter of a century before this time. He probably owned the company as his employment status is "E" or Employer. There is currently a Fairview Paper Box Corporation located in Warsaw, but info on line says the company was started in 1979. In the 1930 census of Warsaw, Price W. Kinney, age 45, owned a $6000 home, and stated his mother was born in Pennsylvania. Miriam R. Kinney, age 43, was born in Massachusetts, parents same. Daughter Esther G. Kinney was age 10. I was unable to find out a thing about what became of Esther, through any online resource. A June 25, 1953 Lyons Republican article about commencement awards mentions an Esther Kinney Memorial English Prize, but all other mentions, for years before and after, refer to the Edith Kinney prize.

In the 1930 Census, Worthy H. Kinney and his wife resided at 109 Winton Rd. South, owned a $10,000 home, and he was retired.

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Feb. 14, 1932

KINNEY - At his home, 109 Winton Road South, on Friday, Feb. 12, 1932. Worthy H. Kinney. Besides his wife, Annie Macafee, the surviving relatives are one son, Price W. Kinney; one brother, R. C. Kinney; also one sister, Mrs. Ella Macafee of Athens, Pa.

- Funeral from the residence Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Burial in Riverside Cemetery.

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, January 2, 1933, lists the death of Prof. Kinney under the heading "Chronology of Outstanding Events in City of Rochester in 1932."

Feb. 12 - Worthy H. KINNEY, 75, a leading educator in Western New York.

A gap of just over 20 years in his life history. Price W. Kinney and his wife Miriam arrived at the port of New York on April 7, 1954, traveling as first class ticket passengers on the ship Oslofjord. Price was 69 years old, resided at 51 Genesee St., Warsaw N.Y., and said he was born in N.Y. Miriam, age 67, same address, was born in Massachusetts.

Price Kinney, no middle initial, last residence NY State, is listed in the Social Security Death Index as born October 9, 1884, and passing away in April 1964. He might rest with his parents and sister in the family plot in Riverside Cemetery, a cemetery of over a quarter million burials in northwest Rochester NY.

This photo was an antiques show find, in terrible condition, and all but his face had to be extensively digitally restored. Click here for a slightly higher resolution grayscale image of this photo.

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