Kate Slaughter McKinney (February 6, 1859 – March 2, 1939) was a writer and poet who used the pen-name of Katydid. In 1931, she was elected Poet Laureate of the State of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Early life

Kate Slaughter was born in

London, Kentucky London is a home rule-class city in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 7,993 at the time of the 2010 census. It is the second-largest city named "London" in the United States and the ...

, on February 6, 1859, the daughter of James Love Slaughter and Lucinda Jane Price. Her father was born in

Booneville, Kentucky Booneville is a home rule-class city in Owsley County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 81 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Owsley County. It is located at the junction of Kentucky Route 11 and Kentucky Route 30 o ...

, and later moved to London and

Richmond, Kentucky Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...

. From her father's side she was the great-granddaughter of Gov.

Gabriel Slaughter Gabriel Slaughter (December 12, 1767September 19, 1830) was the List of Governors of Kentucky, seventh Governor of Kentucky and was the first person to ascend to that office upon the death of the sitting governor. His family moved to Kentucky fr ...

and from her mother side she was the great-granddaughter of Gov.

James Garrard James Garrard (January 14, 1749 – January 19, 1822) was an American farmer, Baptist minister and politician who served as the second governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Because of term limits imposed by the state constitution adopted in ...

. Her great-uncle was Gen. Theo Garrard. She first attended schools in

Kirksville, Kentucky Kirksville is an unincorporated community located in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It was formerly known as Centerville; the new name honored local store owner Samuel Kirkendall.Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names''p. 161 Univers ...

, and then graduated in 1876 from the Daughters' College,

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...

Career

Kate Slaughter McKinney wrote verses since she was fifteen years of age. The first were published in ''

The Courier-Journal ''The Courier-Journal'', also known as the ''Louisville Courier Journal'' (and informally ''The C-J'' or ''The Courier''), is the highest circulation newspaper in Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett and billed as "Part of the ''USA Today'' Ne ...

'', from which they found a way into the leading newspapers and magazines. McKinney got her inspiration from the trees and the flowers and the brooks. Her Kentucky home stood out with frequency in the pages of her published volume, ''Katydid's Poems'' (1887). Her other books are: ''Palace of Silver'' (1927), ''The Silent Witness, a Tale of a Kentucky Tragedy'' (1906), ''The Weed by the Wall'' (1911). She had a lyric gift, and her poems had melody and sweetness. In 1931 she was elected Poet Laureate of the State of Alabama.

Personal life

On May 7, 1878, she became the wife of James Isaac McKinney, the superintendent of the L. & N. R. R. in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

. She died in Montgomery on March 2, 1939, and is buried at Buffalo Springs Cemetery,

Stanford, Kentucky Stanford is a home rule-class city in Lincoln County, Kentucky, United States. It is one of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, having been founded in 1775. Its population was 3,487 at the 2010 census and an estimated 3,686 in 2018. It is the c ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKinney, Kate Slaughter 1859 births 1939 deaths People from London, Kentucky American women poets Writers from Kentucky Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century 19th-century pseudonymous writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 19th-century American poets 20th-century American poets Pseudonymous women writers 20th-century American women