Manuscript

Archive

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McKinley Birthplace Museum

Name/Title

Manuscript

Entry/Object ID

2016.2.99r

Scope and Content

Although Father and Mother McKinley worked long, hard hours, there was always time for family reading. Each family member would have a turn reading out loud while the others would listen. Since education was very important, they would read books by Charles Dickens, Hume, Gibbon, and Shakespear plus several current magazines. What did young William do for fun? He and his friends, went swimming and ice skating at Mosquito Creek. They played marbles, ball, and with sticks for a sword, and paper hatsturned them into fearless soldiers. William, had good aim with a bow and arrow too, but what he loved the most was kites and going barefooted. Picture of school (Niles) William began school as soon as he was able to go alone. The Niles school was a one room building, offering only the basics. When William was about nine years old, the family moved to Poland, Ohio. Picture of Poland Union Seminary Poland Seminary was a new three story building. William was a diligent student and enjoiyed reciting his lessons. Over the period of time spent in the Seminary, he excelled in public speaking and entered into many debating contests. His teachers agreed he was a very bright student. He was very good in languages and enjoyed poetry by Longfellow,Whittier and Byron. He did his studies first before he felt free to play.

Collection

Blaney

Acquisition

Accession

2016.2.0

Source or Donor

Eileen B. Blaney

Acquisition Method

Gift