The education of James McKinty was secured in Belfast, and early in life he went to sea on the Archibald, Captain Delaraga commanding. By permission of the latter, while the ship was in the port of San Juan, Mr. McKinty gave up the sea and went to Yuba City, California, in search of gold, beginning as a mineral prospector. After working in different places in California, he went to Idaho in 1865 and met with excellent success, his largest day's work netting him two thousand dollars. In 1868 he went to British Columbia on the Fraser river, but was not successful, and coming to Nevada he worked first in the Chollar mine at four dollars per day, and later was mining expert for Haggin & Hearst, traveling for these gentlemen to Mexico and Alaska and prospecting for mining property. After this he was for some time engaged in several other mines, and finally became foreman of the Consolidated California and Virginia and Ophir mines, which are very valuable and have yielded immense profits.

In 1887 Mr. McKinty was happily married to Marian Seaman, a native of Calaveras county, California, and a daughter of Henry Seaman, a pioneer of California of 1840. Three children have been born to them, Arthur James, Ethel Marian and Searl Henry. The first two named were born in California and the last in Virginia City. They are all members of the Catholic church. Mr. McKinty is a Democrat in politics and is a member of the Elks, of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is one of the highly respected and esteemed men of the city. The family reside in a beautiful home, where the many friends of the family often gather to enjoy the genial hospitality always offered by the pleasant host and his estimable wife.

Source:
A History of the State of Nevada: Its Resources and People
By Thomas Wren, Lewis Publishing Company
Published by The Lewis publishing company, 1904