McKinley Kirk

McKinley Kirk (April 28, 1896 – April 15, 1978) was an American farmer, businessman, horse breeder, and harness racing driver.

Early life McKinley Kirk was born on April 28, 1896, in New Holland, Ohio, United States.

Career Business career McKinley Kirk was a farmer and businessman. In the late 1920s, he developed a 24-hour service business for motor vehicles. He opened the McKinley Kirk Service Station in Washington Court House on the corner of Court and Hinde Streets. He sold Sinclair products as well as tires, batteries, heaters, and automotive services.

During the summer of 1930, he bought a home in Atlanta, Ohio. After moving his family to Atlanta in 1931, he sold sheep and lambs before he began shipping hogs.

In the early 1930s, Kirk established himself as a horse breeder and played a key role in developing the Belle Mahone family. In 1933, he bought the brood mare from Ed Sever of Fayette County. He began breeding her offspring to top stallions, Kirk was president of the newly formed Wilmington Livestock Sales Company, which conducted the sales. The first sale took place in the new pavilion at the Wilmington Fairgrounds on November 9, 1934. He became widely known throughout the United States because of his livestock purchases, often termed the "largest buyer of hogs in the state." He was in the livestock business in Washington Court House for six years before livestock dealers from Iowa purchased a part of his Fayette County hog business in September 1939. He had built up one of the largest livestock buying and shipping businesses in Ohio. He adopted a system of buying hogs and hauling them to the nearest purchasing station, handling thousands weekly and running large stock trucks throughout the state. When he sold his hog business, he kept his interests in the Wilmington Livestock Sales Company and the auction at Washington Court House. He shifted his focus to cattle, calves, and sheep.

He entered the sport of harness racing in 1944 at the age of 48. That year, he began driving his own horses at the Ohio county fairs. While Kirk handled the training and driving, Clarence Vallery acted as a silent partner. Kirk's private facility comprised a large stable, a half-mile training track, and other outbuildings. During 1946 season, he guided Honest Truth to win the Horseman Futurity for three-year-old pacers in Indianapolis, Indiana. He drove the three-year-old pacing filly Waverly Ann to victory in the Abbedale Stake at Roosevelt Raceway in 1949.

United States Trotting Association Kirk was elected to the United States Trotting Association's board of directors on January 8, 1952, succeeding Judge G. W. Rittenour. He served as the district director of Ohio. When he retired from his post on the board of directors, he had served eight consecutive three-year terms. Kirk also served as a director for the Little Brown Jug Society.

He bred Times Square, a notable pacer which was owned by his nephew Eddie Kirk.

On November 26, 1955, at Hollywood Park, he personally drove Times Square to win the $75,000 American Pacing Classic before a crowd of over 15,000.

By the early 1960s, he sold most of his horses not retained for breeding at general horse auctions such as Success Acres and Fasig-Tipton Old Glory Sales.

Death McKinley Kirk died on April 15, 1978,

In 1997, he was elected into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Immmortals category of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.