Today we look at a portrait of the McElhinney family, location unknown. They are identified on the back as:
Uncle Frank McElhinney
Aunt Meta Montgomery McElhinney
Rae McElhinney Reid
John Harold McElhinney
About 1920
My assumption is that the older two are Uncle Frank and Aunt Meta, and the younger two are Rae and John. They are an attractive family who appear to be well taken care of, considering their clothing looks nice and clean, their faces are full, and the women have slight smiles.
The photographer’s stamp didn’t quite emboss the folder, so I believe it is E. K. Porter. The name of the city was in tiny letters under a swoop made from the descending K that went under Porter, but since the lower portion of the stamp didn’t take, I cannot make it out. Rats!
UPDATE: Iggy did it again! Frank M McElhinney (abt 1854) and Metta McElhinney (2-11-1854 – 3-26-1919) were parents to Rachel “Rae” (abt 1882) and John Harold. Rae married John Wiley 9-4-1906, and shows a child J. C. Wiley aged 7 years on the 1915 census. See the comments for more details!
Who Were They? 
If the name is E K Porter. I found him in Tulsa, OK
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I think it is E. K. Porter. This family is hard to track. I found Rae Reid born in Scotland, but the name is Irish. I found numerous Frank McElhinneys but none with a wife named or nicknamed Meta, or even Mita. Lots of Margarets, heh and a million Johns.
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Feast your eyes on this —
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XJH9-3ST
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Interesting photo – Rae appears to be Frank (b. abt 1856 in Iowa) and Meta/Matta’s daughter. She first married a John Clegg Wylie in 1906 – Meta/Matta was dead by the time of the 1920 US Census. Rae remarried and is listed as Rae Reed in the 1930 US Census, wife of Peter J. Peter J and Rae M. Reid/Reed (b. abt 1882 – given birth name was Rachael) lived in Hutchinson, Reno, Kansas from 1930-1940.
Frank appears to have died before 1930 lived in Sterling, Rice, Kansas. In 1910, Frank appears to have been an “inmate” in Utica, Yankton, South Dakota (and not listed with Meta/Matta in that year’s census.)
I found another reference to E K Porter – his name was Ellis K. Porter (b. abt 1860 in Ohio) living in Sterling, Rice, Kansas from 1910 to 1920, his profession is listed as “Photographer at a Gallery”.
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I saw these inmate records and I wondered.
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Ah here we go:
Metta Montgomery (b. 22 Feb 1854 d. 26 Mar 1919) married Frances “Frank” Martin McElhinney and had a son named John Harold McElhinney.
Name: Metta Mcelhinney
Kansas State Census Date: 1915
Residence: Sterling, Rice, Kansas
Birth Location: Iowa
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1856
Race: White
Household Member(s):
Name Age
F M Mcelhinney 59
Metta Mcelhinney 59
Rae Wiley 32
J C Wiley 7
Rachel Montgomery 61
I would assume by 1915, John Henry was living elsewhere. Also, Metta’s mother was living with them, so daughter Rachel was called Rae to keep the names straight.
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Correction: Frank was not an inmate – he and Metta are listed in the 1910 US Census with son John Harold – under the name of Mcelhaney in Sterling, Rice, Kansas.
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Son J C Wiley was John Clegg Wylie Junior. In the 1940 US Census he is listed as a “pipe line tester,” and a hotel guest living in Wilkes Barre, PA. On 3 Oct 1942 he married Margaret Jones.
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My mother was Margaret Jones. She married John Clegg Wylie (Jack)
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Welcome Carole! My goodness gracious. How did you find us?
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Karl Mousley?
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I sent you an email, please check your messages on the email you used to make your comment. Thanks! :-)
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Good one!! This one must have found a home!! :)
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