Kinney, John F. (John Fitch), 1816-1902

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1816-04-02

Death 1902-08-16

Biographical notes:

Lawyer, poitician, and judge who served as chief justice of Utah.

From the description of Letter, 1862. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122494763

From the guide to the John F. Kinney letter, 1862, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

John Kinney was born in New York and moved to Lee County, Iowa in 1844. He served as a Lee County prosecutor (1846-1848) until he was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1848. In 1856 he left Iowa to become the chief justice of the Supreme Court for the Utah Territory. Later in life he represented the Utah Territory in the U.S. Congress, practiced law in Nebraska City, Nebraska and served as a special Indian Commissioner under presidents Johnson and Arthur. Kinney's service on the Iowa Supreme Court is noted in the minutes of the 4th reunion of the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association of Iowa where he is listed as a survivor of "territorial legislatures 1-8, 1838-45."

From the description of John F. Kinney letter to George G. Wright, 1894 February 9. (State Historical Society of Iowa, Library). WorldCat record id: 457044982

John Fitch Kinney was born in New York in 1916. He studied law there until he moved to the western United States. He practiced in Ohio and Iowa and served as a supreme court judge. He served as Utah's supreme court chief justice and was elected congressman in 1863. He was also a U.S. commissioner of Indian affairs.

From the guide to the John Fitch Kinney autobiography, circa 1863, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)