Posted: 10:34 PM - Aug 23, 2000
Just wanted to share some of my observations regarding my recent attending of the annual Collett McKay Picnic in Clinton Co. Ohio.
I think it's very encouraging to see that members of this branch of our family have been able to keep this event going for 134 years. Long since the original attenders and their children and grandchildren (and possibly great-grandchildren) have since passed away, their present day descendants have been able to pick up where they left off in order to make this such an enjoyable event.
This gathering usually draws between 200 to 300 people a year and I'm guessing there were about 200 or so people this time.
There were at least three tables with food items there. So much that it's probably impossible to be able to sample everything.
Also, a table with genealogical items and pictures much like what we have in Virginia was set up as well.
They also have a registration book for attenders to sign so they can keep track of who and how many attended. There are actually about three of these, each one representing a period of time in the reunion's history. I looked back on the entries for 1990 and found my signature there from the last time I attended.
I was greeted very warmly by our cousins there, some of whom inquired about the "McKays of Virginia" and had their stories about how their ancestors used to keep contact with some of the Virginia kin on into the Civil War but after Sheridan's raid the communications stopped.
Well, I hope that this website will help encourage more communication between the "Ohio" and "Virginia" McKays as well as descendants of Robert who went to other locations. I also hope to have a few Ohio related items to add to the "Memorabilia" section of the website sometime in the future.
I am also happy to know that much of the "McKay lands" in Ohio are still in family hands. Some were sold off for various reasons and others (including the old Moses McKay house in Warren Co. Ohio) have been re-purchased by Moses McKay descendants.
This is quite a contrast to our branch of the family in Virginia who lost the family estates largely as a result of the physical and economic devastation caused by the Civil War and the ensuing problems afterwards.
I especially wish to thank Kate (Hackney) Luby and her family for letting me stay with them during my visit.
All in all I had a good time there and I look forward to attending again sometime in the future.
I think it's very encouraging to see that members of this branch of our family have been able to keep this event going for 134 years. Long since the original attenders and their children and grandchildren (and possibly great-grandchildren) have since passed away, their present day descendants have been able to pick up where they left off in order to make this such an enjoyable event.
This gathering usually draws between 200 to 300 people a year and I'm guessing there were about 200 or so people this time.
There were at least three tables with food items there. So much that it's probably impossible to be able to sample everything.
Also, a table with genealogical items and pictures much like what we have in Virginia was set up as well.
They also have a registration book for attenders to sign so they can keep track of who and how many attended. There are actually about three of these, each one representing a period of time in the reunion's history. I looked back on the entries for 1990 and found my signature there from the last time I attended.
I was greeted very warmly by our cousins there, some of whom inquired about the "McKays of Virginia" and had their stories about how their ancestors used to keep contact with some of the Virginia kin on into the Civil War but after Sheridan's raid the communications stopped.
Well, I hope that this website will help encourage more communication between the "Ohio" and "Virginia" McKays as well as descendants of Robert who went to other locations. I also hope to have a few Ohio related items to add to the "Memorabilia" section of the website sometime in the future.
I am also happy to know that much of the "McKay lands" in Ohio are still in family hands. Some were sold off for various reasons and others (including the old Moses McKay house in Warren Co. Ohio) have been re-purchased by Moses McKay descendants.
This is quite a contrast to our branch of the family in Virginia who lost the family estates largely as a result of the physical and economic devastation caused by the Civil War and the ensuing problems afterwards.
I especially wish to thank Kate (Hackney) Luby and her family for letting me stay with them during my visit.
All in all I had a good time there and I look forward to attending again sometime in the future.