Asa Kinney

Asa Kinney (May 21, 1810 – October 3, 1886)^[1] was an American businessman, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented southern Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Senate during the 1st and 2nd legislatures (1848, 1849).

Born in Homer, New York, Kinney moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory, in 1836 and settled in Oak Creek where he had a farm. Kinney served in the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. Then, in 1847–1848, Kinney served in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in the Wisconsin Territorial House of Representatives. He served in the first Wisconsin State Senate in 1848-1849 as a Democrat.^[2] He moved to Plumas County, California to mine in 1852 and was elected as the first member of the California State Assembly from Plumas County in 1854, again as a Democrat.^[3][4] Kinney moved back to Wisconsin after the Assembly adjourned (without even going back to Plumas County) and settled in Ripon, Wisconsin. He served on the Ripon Common Council and was street commissioner. He also served as sergeant at arms in the Wisconsin Senate. In 1861, Kinney served as quartermaster in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War.^[5] He was discharged because of health.^[5] He then enlisted in the 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and was commissioned a lieutenant and assigned to quartermaster. He stayed in the regiment until the end of the Civil War.^[5][6] In 1871, Kinney moved with some colonists from Ripon, Wisconsin, to Kansas where they helped plat the community of Russell, Kansas. Kinney served as a local judge in Russell and was in the banking and insurance businesses in Kansas and Wisconsin. Kinney died in Russell, Kansas.^[5][7][8]