McCoy, Joseph G., founder of the cattle trade in Kansas and originator of the Abilene trail (q. v.), was born in Sangamon county, Ill., Dec. 21, 1837, the youngest of eleven children born to David and Mary (Kirkpatrick) McCoy, natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. He was educated in the common schools and at Knox College, and in 1861 he embarked in the cattle business. On Oct. 22, 1861, he married Miss Sarah Epler. In 1867 he conceived the idea of establishing a shipping depot for cattle at some point in the west and selected Abilene, Kan., from which place he opened a trail to the Indian Territory. Some people sneered at his ideas, but he demonstrated their practicability. About 75,000 cattle were shipped from Abilene in 1868, and by 1871 the number had increased to 600,000 or more. He lived in Abilene, where he served as mayor, until 1873, when he removed to Kansas City, Mo. In 1881 he was employed by the the Cherokee Indians as agent to collect the revenue on outlying lands belonging to that tribe and removed to Wichita, where he still lives. Mr. McCoy is a Democrat in his political affiliations and is a member of the independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1890 he was appointed superintendent of the range cattle department by the United States census bureau, a position for which he was well fitted by his long connection with the cattle trade. It is said that his wedding coat was one which had been made for Abraham Lincoln.