Elijah McKenney, son of James and Jemima (Kemp) McKenney, was born at Newfane, Niagara County, NY 4 Sep 1812. In 1822 his father bought a farm in the town of Greece, Monroe County, NY, but sold it and returned to Newfane. Elijah was married to Harriet Gaylor 6 Nov 1845, born 7 Jan 1818. Of nine children six are living.

In the spring of 1846 he purchased eighty acres in section 20; then owned 280 acres, with 125 acres under good cultivation. He arrived in Byron with his household furniture and $65 in money; $70 was the price of the land he purchased, so he disposed of an extra pair of boots for five dollars making the total seventy dollars. He cut a small clearing for his log house, in which he commenced pioneer life. He traded his overcoat for a cow and a hog that weighed two hundred pounds when fattened. The next spring he purchased a pair of calves and raised his team. He cleared fifteen acres unaided.

His wife died 11 Aug 1865. Later he married Abigail j., daughter of Chandler and (Reed) Hickos, born in Lorain County, Ohio, 19 Feb 1828. Mr. McKenney was supervisor for two years; Justice of the Peace one year. In politics he was a democrat. In the early days, wolves, bear and other wild animals were very numerous and on one occasion attacked his sheep, even being so bold as attacking them in the pen adjoining the house. As Mr. McKenney would be on one side of the pen trying to scare them, the bears would go to the other side.