Collin McKinney

Collin McKinney. . , Texas patriot and statesman , One of committee of five that wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence, one of its fifty-nine signers, March 2, 1836. , Served in House of Representatives, Republic of Texas. In recognition of his distinguished service the county and county seat of Collin County bear his name. Born in New Jersey, April 17, 1766. Died in this house, September 9, 1861., Collin McKinney Cabin , The Collin McKinney cabin was built in 1846 and moved from Anna, Texas to Finch Park in 1937 where it was designated a National Historical Building. It was destroyed by fire on December 10, 1980. The adjacent plaque was attached to the home when it burned. A portion of two wooden hand hewn beams, joined by wooden pegs, encased above is all that remains of the cabin., The Collin McKinney Cabin was built in 1846 north of present-day Anna. Lumber was hauled from Jefferson, Texas, and cut on site for the construction. The roof had wood shingles., The cabin was a story and a half with three rooms downstairs and a sleeping loft upstairs. The one large room that ran crosswise on the ground floor had a fireplace on one end and an enclosed staircase on the other end. A shed room across the back of the house was converted into two bedrooms. A pantry was under the stairs. The large room served as the living room, dining room and kitchen., The “overnight room “ on the front porch did not open into the house. Travelers could spend the night in the room without bothering the family. When Texas held its year-long celebration of the Centennial of the Republic of Texas in 1936 with an Exposition at Fair Park in Dallas, Collin County had the cabin moved to McKinney to act as a visitor center. The cabin was placed on the north end of town near the main road, which led to Dallas. Over 10,000 people signed the guest register in a two-month period., In 1937 the cabin was moved to Finch Park in McKinney where it was used to teach students about pioneer life. It was damaged in McKinney’s 1948 tornado and was restored by the McKinney Garden Club. The photo is of the restored cabin. The cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and burned to the ground in 1980.