William Kinney | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | |
| In office December 6, 1826 – December 9, 1830 | |
| Governor | Ninian Edwards |
| Preceded by | Adolphus Hubbard |
| Succeeded by | Zadok Casey |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the St. Clair County district | |
| In office 1818–1820 | |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | James Leman Jr. |
| In office 1822–1824 | |
| Preceded by | James Leman Jr. |
| Succeeded by | James Leman Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1781 Near Louisville, Kentucky |
| Died | October 1, 1843 St. Clair County, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
William Kinney (1781 – October 1, 1843) was an American pioneer, politician, and merchant who was the third Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Born in Kentucky, Kinney came to the Illinois Territory at a young age with his family. In 1809, he founded a successful dry goods store on the road between the towns of Belleville and Lebanon. This made him a prominent citizen of St. Clair County, and Kinney was elected to the Illinois Senate when the body was formed in 1818.
In 1826, Kinney was elected Lieutenant Governor under Ninian Edwards. However, Kinney developed a pattern of financial mismanagement during this term that would haunt him for the rest his life. Twice an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Illinois, Kinney was named president of the state's board of public works. Kinney nearly bankrupted the state by funding ambitious projects in the wake of the Panic of 1837. The board was liquidated and the state was in the process of suing Kinney when he died in 1843.