William E. Pinney, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of William E. Pinney
WILLIAM E. PINNEY, attorney at law, was born in La Porte County, Ind., November 10, 1847, and is the fourth of the eight children of William and Cynthia (Long) Pinney, natives, respectively, of Ohio and Virginia and of English descent. The paternal progenitor of this family came to America in 1620, and his descendants are now scattered throughout almost all the States of the Union. In 1837, William Pinney came from Ohio to La Porte County with his parents, and December 23, 1841, married Miss Cynthia Long, who came to La Porte County with her parents in 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Pinney still reside in La Porte County, in Clinton Township, on the old homestead. William E. Pinney was reared in La Porte County, assisting on the home farm, and attending the district schools. Subsequently, he attended the old Male and Female College at Valparaiso, this county, and then began the study of law in the office of Weir & Biddle, of La Porte, remaining with them some time. In 1872, he entered the Law Department of the Indiana University, at Bloomington, and in April, 1874, came to Valparaiso, and opened a law, loan and abstract office. Here Mr. Pinney has the only complete set of abstract titles in Porter County, and ever since his location here has been actively employed in his profession of attorney and counselor at law, and the transaction of loan and title abstract business. On the 18th of November, 1875, Mr. Pinney married Miss Finette Morrison, a native of La Porte County, born July 7, 1850, and eldest of the three children of John and Susan (Blair) Morrison, both families being early settlers in Northern Indiana, and Judge Blair, her mother's father, one of the old and prominent settlers of Porter County, and also one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso. Mrs. Pinney is a lady of more than ordinary culture, is devoted to the interest of the family, and to her intelligence and industry Mr. Pinney attributes much of his success. Their little daughter, Myra Finette, now two years of age, and their only child, is very intelligent and far advanced for one of her age. Mrs. Pinney is a member of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Pinney, although a member of no religious society, is thoroughly orthodox in his views of theology. In politics he is a Democrat, although liberal in his opinions, never hesitating to condemn that which he considers to be wrong in his party, but firmly upholding the right. His grandfather, Horace Pinney, served in the war of 1812 as a Drum Major, and others of his ancestors served in the Revolutionary war, one as Lieutenant and one as Colonel. The characteristic feature of the family is an unassuming, quite disposition, but a number of them have become quite prominent as private citizens. Mr. Pinney's father, William Pinney, is a man of extraordinary natural ability.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 266-267
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook