The Life of Thomas McKinney and McKinney Falls State Park

Words by Sean Saldana Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department © 2021, Chase Fountain

Though Thomas McKinney doesn’t carry the same recognition as figures like Sam Houston or Stephen F. Austin, he has been just as important to the story of the Lone Star State.

With dozens of campsites, nine miles of trails, and home to a 500-year-old bald cypress tree named Old Baldy, McKinney Falls State Park is a familiar site for Austinites and outdoor enthusiasts around the state of Texas.

First settled by Native Americans more than 8,000 years ago, the park is now named after Thomas McKinney, one of the most pivotal figures in Texas history. Born in Kentucky in 1801, McKinney was brought to the South in the 1820s by a headright that promised cheap land to Anglos who settled in Texas. McKinney would go on to live in San Felipe de Austin in 1830 as one of Stephen F. Austin’s first 300 colonists. 

San Felipe de Austin is where McKinney made a name for himself as a prominent entrepreneur. He operated a store, sold cotton, and became involved in the broader trading business. He also began acquiring land for what would become his ranch on Onion Creek.

McKinney also took on an important role in the Texas Revolution. In one of his many complicated business ventures, McKinney and one of his business partners took out loans of nearly $100,000 (around $3 million today) to help finance the cause.

Ironically though, this move, which solidified his name in Texas history, also crippled him financially. Though the colonists eventually prevailed over Mexico, the newly-founded Republic of Texas had amassed massive debts and was functionally insolvent. So despite years of efforts, McKinney was never fully reimbursed for his part in financing Texas’s independence.

He would go on to serve in the Texas Legislature in the late 1840s: a time when he also began to transition his home for a final time to Travis County in the Onion Creek area. He also had a front row seat to the colonization of Texas, the Texas Revolution, the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. 

In his lifetime, McKinney amassed nearly 40,000 acres of land. He died in his home in 1873 from a kidney disease from which he long suffered. Twelve years later, his wife, Anna, sold the majority of the property to James Woods Smith. In 1976, the Smith’s grandchildren donated 682 acres of the land to Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the property was opened as McKinney Falls State Park.

McKinney’s legacy can be difficult to assess by modern standards. Like many influential figures in American history, McKinney was a slave owner. At the same time, he was also a staunch Unionist who opposed Texas’s secession during the lead up to the Civil War.

Perhaps what McKinney should be remembered for most was his devotion to the State of Texas and the stunning state park with his namesake. 

Did You Know?
It’s estimated that McKinney’s contributions to the Texas Revolution made up 10% of all Texan expenditures during the conflict.  

Contact:
(512) 243-1643
5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy. 
tpwd.texas.gov