William Crane Kinney attended school in Adrian until 1860 when he began to study law in the office of Beecher and Howell. In the fall of that year, he entered law school at the University of Michigan, spending one term there. He then went to Chicago and graduated with his Law degree from the Union College of Law in 1861. He moved to Princeton, Illinois after being admitted to the bar, as a partner of J.Q.Taylor. In June of 1862, he raised up the 93rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry to fight in the Civil War. He became 2nd Lt. of Company E and in his last year he served as aide-de-camp on the brigade staff. He served the Union until June 1865 when he retired to Nashville, Tennessee taking a job in a government claims office. He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), which was created after the assassination of President Lincoln to continue to affirm their support for the Union.

In May 1869, he was married to Mary Candace Troy in Tennessee. While in Nashville, he served on the town council, and was president of the board of alderman. In 1870, William Crane moved to Kansas City, Missouri and lived with his brother Joel F. and his wife. Joel was also a lawyer. William Crane Kinney and his wife had their only son, Troy Sylvanus Kinney in 1871. The next year, the family moved back to Chicago, where William Crane entered the real estate trade, and entered a partnership with Josiah Kimball. He was two years a member of the board of trustees of Hyde Park, and two years an alderman of the city if Chicago.
-Religion: Methodist
-See his signature here

Sources:
-Birth Source: American Compendium of Genealogy Vol IV., "History of the 93rd Regiment", Obituary, Father's obituary.
-Marriage Source: Marriage Records of Davidson, TN
-Death Certificate
-Death Source: Obituary, Chicago Death Record.
-"HISTORY OF EARLY CHICAGO MODERN CHICAGO AND ITS SETTLEMENT EARLY CHICAGO, AND THE NORTHWEST" BY ALBERT D. HAGER p534.
-"Past and Present of Beareau County"
-"History of 93rd Regiment"
-Civil War Pension Record, Civil War Service Record
-1900 US Census : Living as a boarder with his son in Chicago.
-1880 US Census : Living in Hyde Park, Illinois
-1870 US Census : Living with brother Joel in Kansas City, MO
-1860 US Census : Cambridge, Michigan
-1850 US Census : Cambridge, Michigan
-1840 US Census : Cambridge, Michigan


E-mail Joe C. for any additions/questions!