Husband Dr. William James McKnight 1 2 3
Born: 6 May 1836 - Brookville, Jefferson Co, PA 1 4 5
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Father: Alexander McKnight, Esq. (1810-1837) 3 6 7 8
Mother: Mary Thompson (Abt 1811-1860) 3 7 9
Marriage: 9 Jan 1860 1 5 10
• Biographical Sketch: Kate M. Scott, History of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers, 1888).
To read a brief biographical sketch of his life and career, click here.
Wife Penelope Goddard Clarke 1 5 10
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Children
1 M Amor Archer McKnight 10
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Died: Aft 1917
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2 F Mary Adaline McKnight 10
Born:
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Died: Aft 1917
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Spouse: H. H. Kennedy ( - ) 10
3 M Jay Byron McKnight 10
Born:
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Died: Aft 1917
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4 F Bonnie McKnight 11
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Died: Aft 1917
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Spouse: George R. Matson ( - ) 11 12
5 F Jennie McKnight 10
Born:
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Died: when four years and three months old
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Spouse: Did Not Marry
6 U [Infant] McKnight
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Died: in infancy
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7 U [Infant] McKnight
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Died: in infancy
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General Notes: Husband - Dr. William James McKnight
He received a limited education in the common schools. When he was about eleven years of age he was thrown upon his own resources, and began the struggle of life. For five years he lived and worked on a farm. At the age of sixteen he began teaching school and working in the office of the Jefferson Star, learning the printer's trade. Two years later he began reading medicine under Dr. A. M. Clarke, of Brockwayville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, and held a position as compositor on the Elk County Advocate. During the next three years, by practicing strict economy, he had saved enough money to enable him to take a single course of medical lectures at Cincinnati, Ohio, during the winter of 1856-57, and in March following (1857) he began the practice of medicine in his native town. In the autumn of 1857 he practiced with and under Dr. A. M. Clarke, until the fall of 1859, when he formed a partnership with Dr. Niver, of Brockwayville, which was terminated four years later after they had established a large and extensive practice. In 1863 Dr. McKnight returned to Brookville, where he opened a drug store on Oct. 8th, carrying on the same in connection with his practice, and which, together with his son, J. B., he continued for many years to operate under the firm name of McKnight & Son. On Aug. 4, 1862, Governor Curtin appointed the Doctor examining surgeon for Jefferson and Forest counties. He was also appointed, and served for seven years, as United States pension surgeon, but other duties made it necessary for him to resign this position. He served as private and orderly sergeant in Company G, 57th United States Emergency Regiment; was promoted to quartermaster sergeant, and took part in the campaign against Morgan. In 1869 he attended lectures in Philadelphia and received the degree of M. D. He afterwards attended two full courses in succession at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated in March, 1884, and the same year received a degree from the school of anatomy and surgery. In 1885 he took a postgraduate course at Jefferson College.
Dr. McKnight's political activities began when a boy. In 1876 Jefferson county Republicans presented him for State senator, and Indiana county Republicans presented Dr. St. Clair, Indiana and Jefferson counties forming the Thirty-seventh Senatorial district. Three conventions were held without a nomination, when for the good of the party, to save the Congressional nominee of Indiana, and to secure harmony among the voters, Dr. McKnight withdrew from the contest. In 1880 Jefferson county Republicans again presented Dr. McKnight as their choice, and Indiana county Republicans presented George W. Hood. After a three days' convention of delegates from the two counties, no nomination being agreed upon, a second conference was held with no result. Another meeting was held at which Gen. James S. Negley, of Pittsburgh, acted as umpire, when Dr. McKnight was nominated; he was elected at the polls and served in the Senate from 1881 to 1885. The Doctor took a very active part in all public measures brought before the Senate during his term of office. He was the author of several very important bills, and through his conservative and practical business methods were enacted a number of needed reforms whereby the Commonwealth was saved several hundred thousand dollars per annum. Honesty and economy with the people's money was his slogan. His reform in printing public documents saved the State forty thousand dollars a year. He advocated and secured the first additional appropriation under the new Constitution to the schools of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars; advocated the furnishing of schoolbooks free by the state to all the schools; and free schools in fact-school tax abolished, schools to be maintained and supported by the state. The attention he called to careless auditing brought into the state one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He carried through a reform in the commencement of borough and township offices. He took an active interest in the wards of the state and gave a hearty support to the soldiers' orphans' schools, advocating justice to the soldier, his widow and his orphan. In 1881 he originated, incepted and introduced a bill providing for the classification of the insane, and advocated that the expense of their support be paid by the state. He originated and introduced a number of valuable reforms that fell for want of time. He pushed through the Senate in 1881 the bill authorizing counties to refund their bonds at a lower rate of interest. This bill saved Jefferson county several thousand dollars. He originated, agitated and pushed through the Senate bill No. 117, entitled An Act For Promotion of Medical Science, by the distribution and use of unclaimed human bodies for scientific purposes, through a board created for that purpose, and to prevent unauthorized uses and traffic in human bodies, which was approved and signed June 18, 1883. This law was eventually enacted in nearly every state in the Union. He supported and voted for the following laws: The law of 1881, Act No. 21, which provided proper means of conveyance of persons injured in and about the mines, to their homes; Act No. 54, 1881, "To provide the means for securing the health and safety of persons employed in the bituminous coal mines of Pennsylvania"; Act No. 173, 1881, "To secure to operators and laborers engaged in and about coal mines, manufactories of iron and steel, and all other manufactories, the payment of their wages at regular intervals and in lawful money of the United States" (this law regulated and preventd the excessive profit on merchandise); law of 1883, Act No. 16, "To provide for voluntary tribunals, to adjust disputes between employers and employed"; Act No. 46, 1883, "To protect the miners in the bituminous coal regions in this Commonwealth" (this law secured the miner pay for all clean coal mined by him without regard to size; made seventy-six pounds of coal a bushel and two thousand pounds a ton; required all cars to be branded and uniform in size; created the office of check weighman and defined his duties); Act No. 48, 1883, which now compelled props and timber to be furnished; Act No. 97: 1883, creating a mining boss and defining his duties, providing for cut-throughs and holes for shelter, bore holes, printed rules, safety lamps, board of examiners, etc., also for six bituminous mine inspectors instead of three, and also for two mining engineers; Act No. 104, 1883, "For the better protection of the wages of mechanics, miners, laborers and others" (this law gave the laborer preference against insolvent companies or debtors).
In a speech advocating reform in the Senate, March 14, 1883, Dr. McKnight used these words, "and now, Mr. President, to further assist in the public good, to promote honest government and purify the public service, I would make all offices in both State and nation, except the merest clerkships, elective by the people. I would elect postmasters, collectors, marshals, and especially United States senators." His zeal and enterprise gained for him state celebrity, as well as reflecting much credit upon his ability and statesmanship.
In 1884 Dr. McKnight and G. W. Hood were again pitted against each other for the nomination. The established usage of the party entitled Dr. McKnight to a second term, especially as Indiana county had had the senator for sixteen out of twenty years, and all acknowledged that he had served with honor and credit to his district, his constituents and himself. He was regularly and fairly renominated at a party conference in Indiana, but was defeated at the polls by Hood, who ran as an independent candidate.
Dr. McKnight was a bituminous coal operator beginning from 1895, opening and running the Toby Valley Coal Company, and also the McKnight Coal Company, which was still, in 1915, in active operation.
As a writer Dr. McKnight is the author of "My First Recollections of Brookville, Pa.," "Recollections of Ridgway, Pa.," also of the "Pioneer History of Jefferson County, Pa., 1755-1844," "A Pioneer Outline History of Northwestern Pennsylvania," embracing fourteen counties, and of "Pioneer Sketches of the Cities of Allegheny, Beaver, DuBois and Towanda, Pa." And in 1916, as director and vice president of the National Bank of Brookville, merchant, coal operator, writer and author.
Fraternally Dr. McKnight was a Mason, Odd Fellow, Pythian, Redman, Artisan, Granger and Grand Army man. He was entered in Hobah Lodge, No. 276, F. & A. M., Brookville, Nov. 28, 1864, passed Jan. 16, 1865, raised Feb. 17, 1865, and made an honorary member Dec. 10, 1894. Religiously he was baptized and reared a "Blue Stocking" Presbyterian.