Career

During this time Collin had many jobs that gave him great experience.  He was named a magistrate in Kentucky and also was associated with many frontier churches where he would act in a leadership role.  In 1818 he moved his family to Tennessee when he was asked by Senator George Washington Campbell to manage his estate while the senator served as Minister to Russia.  Collin later would go on to manage a trading post.  

 

In 1824 he migrated with his family and many relatives to Arkansas territory and 7 years after that they moved into Red River County, Texas.  He was elected as a justice of the peace.  Collin McKinney became more and more of a politician and statesman.  During this time, many people wanted to control and claim the land of Texas.

 

In 1835 Collin McKinney was elected as a deligate of the Red River District.  He met with other deligates at San Delipe de Austin who wanted to set up their own government.  The Mexican President, Santa Anna, claimed the land and the people living there.   Fed up with both the American and Mexican governments the deligates wanted independence.  In 1836 he was one of 5 deligates that wrote and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.  He also helped to write the constitution for the new Republic of Texas.  

 

He would continue to work as a deligate in the First, Second and Fourth Congresses of the Republic of Texas.  He also encouraged the Texas Legislature to create square counties based on his work as a surveyor.  

 

The new Republic of Texas presented people with an opportunity to establish colonies.  Families who settled in these colonies would receive a great deal of land, supplies and help building a cabin.  In 1844, Collin would make 11 trips on horseback from Kentucky and Tennessee guiding families to Texas.  In 1845 he moved his family to Van Alstyne, Texas where he build a new home.  He was honored in 1846 when Collin County was created and named in his honor.  In 1848 the county seat was named McKinney.