George McKay,  b. c1839, Mobile, Ala., unmarried, d. young man, no children

Sarah I. McKay, b. 1840, Mobile, Ala. d. 1877, Tampa, Fla.

Marr. to Col. Robert B. Thomas of Ky, an officer in the U.S. Army.  No children

James McKay, Jr.  b. Nov. 27, 1842, Mobile, Ala. d. Sept. 1924 Tampa

James McKay, Jr attended Tampa's first public school and enlisted in the 4th Florida Regiment at the start of the Civil War and served throughout the war on the Confederate side.  Early on he became a very prominent and distinguished citizen of Tampa, taking a leading part in all of the lines of activity; industrial, social and political, of the community, of this section and of the entire state.  His life was a stirring one, full of service both afloat and ashore.  Entering his father's business a the close of the war, his father's fleet of vessels afforded him his first means of employment,  he spent much of his time at sea and became a master mariner, rapidly rising to the position that entitled him the the title of "Captain" along with his father.

 

Following his father's death in 1876, he had charge of the McKay fleet commanding many of his father's vessels.  After they were sold he passed to the command of ships of other owners.  He was employed by the Mallory Line, serving as captain of the steamer Alicia A Washburn which carried the mail on the Gulf Coast. 

 

Always active politically, he was elected in 1880 to represent the 11th senatorial district, comprising Hillsborough County, in the state senate.  He held this position for 2 terms. 

 

In 1886 Capt. McKay went with the Plant Steamship Co., becoming captain of the Mascotte.  Early in 1887 he was in charge of the construction of the Olivette at Cramp's Shipyard in Philadelphia. These were steamers of the Plant line between Tampa and Havana and in the summer on the New England coast. He brought the Olivette into Tampa and commanded her until Sept 1, 1894, when he resigned to become US marshal for the southern district of Florida.

 

During the Spanish-American War he had charge of the fleet of transports that carried the army of General Shafter to Santiago, Cuba, superintending the loading of transports at Port Tampa and the unloading on the coast of Cuba, earning many encomiums from high authorities for the skill and ability exhibited by him in the handling of the ships composing the large fleet.

 

In 1902 he was elected mayor of Tampa and served two terms.  He also became marine superintendent of the US Transports, inspecting all transports chartered by the government on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, with headquarters in New York City.  He resigned in 1914 to become postmaster in Tampa.

 

James Crichton McKay b. Feb. 2, 1868. d. Nov. 23, 1961
 

James received his education in Tampa schools and at Emory College in Oxford, Geo.  After leaving college he entered the railway mail service in which he engaged for 16 years.  During that period he came into Tampa on the first train run by the Florida Central & Peninsular Railroad over its newly completed line, on Monday, May 5, 1890.

In 1889 while in the mail service, he became interested in the insurance business and began selling policies for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.  He has represented the company ever since and has the distinction of having served under 7 of its presidents.

James C. McKay was so successful as a part-time insurance salesman that he gave up his job with the mail service around 1900 to devote his full attention to the business.  He has engaged in it ever since and was (in 1950) Tampa's oldest insurance man in length of service.  Still an agent of the Penn Mutual, he was also state agent of the American Equitable Insurance Co. and general agent for the Safeguard Insurance Co. and the U.S. Fidelity & Guarantee Co., which he represented for 43 years (by 1950).  Banquets held in his honor have been attended by many of the leading insurance salesmen of the nation.

Mr. McKay was a charter member of the Egypt Temple Shrine and member of vrarious other organizations and clubs.  He was also a steward in the Hyde Park Methodist Church. was the head of a prominent insurance firm in Tampa; McKay & Son.

Donald Brenham "D.B." McKay b. July 29, 1868, Tampa
 

D.B. McKay is one of the most remarkable men that Tampa has produced.  Growing up at a time when there were fewer advantages of education presented to the youth of the community than now, he overcame this handicap by energetic application and assiduous study in private, gaining thus an education superior to that of many men who are college-bred.  He is largely self-made, and had no cause to feel ashamed of his work as the architect of his own fortunes.
 

He went to school in Tampa and when 14 years old started working as a printer for the old Tampa Tribune.  With the exception of one year spent as a railroad contractor, building a branch of the South Florida Railroad from Bartow to Fort Meade, he continued in newspaper work for more than half a century thereafter.
 

When the Tampa Daily Times was established in 1893, Mr. McKay became foreman of the mechanical plant.  Shortly afterward he moved to the editorial dept. and became city editor, and later editor-in-chief.  The Times became the leading afternoon paper of the state of Florida.  Late in 1898 the paper got into financial difficulties and Mr. McKay borrowed enough money to buy controlling interest.  In 1922 he bought all the remaining outstanding stock.   He served the paper as editor and publisher from 1898 to 1933 when it was acquired by David E. Smiley and Ralph Nicholson. The success achieved by this paper is largely due to the energy and ability displayed by D.B. McKay.
 

D.B. McKay was a man of wonderful grasp of mind, tremendous energy and tenacity of purpose as well as possessing the administrative faculties in superlative degree.  This is evidenced by the wonderful success that has attended his conduct of the office of mayor of the city of Tampa.  Mr. McKay served the City of Tampa as mayor for 14 years and as mayor-commissioner for 3 months.  He was elected in 1910 for the first time as mayor for a 2-year term, re-elected in 1912 for a 4-year term and and re-elected again for the same length term in 1916.  In 1928 he was elected to serve as mayor-commissioner and continued in office 3 months until a new city charter became effective, abolishing the city manager form of government which he had long opposed.  In the meantime, he was elected again to serve for a 4-year term.  Mr. McKay also served 3 terms as jury commissioner for the county. Greater and more numerous public improvements were carried either to completion or to an advanced stage of progress under his administration, and the city grew more rapidly and attained a higher stage of greatness than in any other period of twice the length.
 

In his later years he spent much of his time compiling historical data about Hillsborough County and Flroida and has used much of his material in his "Pioneer Florida" series which had long been a feature of the Tampa Sunday Tribune.  He was named county historian in late 1949 by the newly-created Hillsborough County Historical Commission.
 

Mr. McKay was awarded the honorary degree of doctor of humanities by Rollins College and was decorated by the late King Alfonso of Spain with the Order of Isabel la Catalico.  In 1944 he was awarded the Cervantes Medal by the Hispanic Institute of Florida.  Because of his interest in the Seminole Indians, he was made one of their honorary chiefs, and named Chief White Heron.
 

During World War I he was appointed by Pres. Wilson to serve as chairman of the President's Advisory Committee for Southwest Florida to furnish confidential information regarding individuals being considered for responsible positions in various phases of the war effort.

Mr. McKay was a director of the First National Bank and past president of the Tampa Board of Trade, predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce.  He was one of the founders and trustee of of the University of Tampa, was past exalted ruler of the Elks, and an honorary member of Bay Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and L'Unione Italiano.
 

(Grismer note: Due to the fact that Mr. McKay kindly edited the manuscript for this book, I have refrained from mentioning many more of his achievements which otherwise would have been included in his biography. --K.H.G.)
 

Donald S. McKay b. Aug. 8, 1846 Chassahowitzka Bay, Hernando Co., Fla.
While with his father on a blockade running trip early in the Civil War, he was captured by the Federals and imprisoned at Fort Lafayette, New York Harbor.  When released, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served until the end of the conflict.  (See "Capture of the SS Salvor" here at TampaPix.)  He then studied navigation and followed the sea for many years.  During the mid-1880s he purchased eight acres of land on the west side of the river directly opposite the tract later purchased by Henry B. Plant as the site of the Tampa Bay Hotel.  He built his home on a portion of the tract and subdivided the remainder.
 

Martha A. McKay - Marr. John A. Porter

William George McKay - Marr. Annie McDermott

Marion E. McKay

Matilda McKay  d. Sept 1893

Almeria Bell McKay, d. Oct 1926

Charles M. McKay  b. Jan 3, 1857 d. Sep 15, 1877