| Life Story
|
William McGee worked briefly at TKWM in the summer of 1903. His father Patrick was the mill superintendent.
William Florence McGee was born 21 Jan 1881 in Waterloo, Iowa, to Patrick F. and Honora McGee. At the time of his birth, father Patrick worked at the Waterloo Mill. William grew up in a large family of twelve children. Seeking better opportunities in the textile industry, the McGee family relocated to Oregon, initially settling in Oregon City before moving to Albany, Brownsville and finally Salem.
Under his father’s tutelage, William learned the craft of wool weaving. He attended public, private, and parochial schools in Oregon. In the early 1900s, William attended St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, between 1903 and 1905. He completed his seminary course in the summer of 1907 and visited his family in Salem before heading to Portland for his ordination. On 18 July 1907, William was ordained as a priest of the Catholic Church at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Rev. Archbishop Christie, who oversaw the regions of Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
Following his ordination, William served as a curate for Rev. Lane in Albany. Known for his exceptional oratory skills, a quality that ensured his success in his calling, William’s ministry included service in Albany, Roseburg, Portland, and Woodburn. However, in 1911, he left the church, feeling disillusioned. He detailed his reasons in a 64-page booklet titled “From Rome Through Modernism,” authored by W.H. McGee, former pastor of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church. The primary reason for his departure was Modernism, which reinterprets church teachings based on modern science and philosophy.
By 1912, he was in the Chicago area, delivering lectures on his experiences in the Catholic Church and working in a bookstore. It was here he married Anna M. Herzog on 1 June 1912. In 1913, they welcomed a baby daughter named Ardis after William’s youngest sister. Sadly, she lived only two months.
In the summer of 1916, Mr. McGee sought to demonstrate the right of free speech during one of his lectures, which led to an encounter with the Chicago police and a brief stay in jail. A jury later exonerated him. Around this time, he filled out a World War I draft registration card, which recorded that he was 37 years old, married and living at 2431 N. Kedzie Blvd. in Chicago. He worked as a book clerk for the Economy Bookshop and was described as tall with a medium build, brown eyes and black hair.
In Chicago, William met Pascal “Pat” Covici and together they formed a publishing company and bookstore that became a popular spot for writers. Covici-McGee operated from 1922-1924, publishing notable authors such as Carl Sandburg, Wallace Smith, and Edgar Lee Masters.
During this period, McGee began experiencing heart problems, often collapsing at work. Fellow employees would carry him to a couch in the basement of the bookshop to recover. Vincent Starrett, a cohort, wrote a memoir which referred to McGee as ‘everybody’s friend, a soft of father-confessor to everyone who knew him.’ William’s health issues were exacerbated by legal troubles Covici-McGee faced.
The company’s first publication was Ben Hecht’s 1001 Afternoons in Chicago (1922). The memoir was labeled as obscene, leading to its restriction and confiscation by post office officials. Covici, McGee, Hecht, and the book’s illustrator, Wallace Smith, were arrested, pled no contest, and fined $1,000. In March 1924, Covici and McGee parted ways; Covici continued on his own, while McGee left for health reasons and became a traveling book salesman.
By 1930, William and his wife Anna had parted ways. She remained in Chicago, living with her sister Mildred and working as a practical nurse. In 1936, William moved to Santa Cruz, California, where he worked as a minister in the All-Souls Unitarian Church. He served in this capacity until his death on 1 Nov 1947, at the age of 66, from an asthmatic heart complaint. William was cremated and buried in Santa Cruz Memorial Park. |
| Salem City Directories [unless otherwise noted] |
Father’s household in Salem
1896 McGee Patrick F, res 542 State
1905 McGee Patrick F, sup[erintendent] TKWM Co, res 1433 Court
1907 McGee Patrick F, sup[erintendent] TKWM Co, res 161 N 13th
1908 McGee Patrick F, sup[erintendent] TKWM Co, res 382 N Capitol
Chicago, Illinois
1917 McGee Wm F, lecturer, 2431 N Kedzie
Santa Cruz, California
1936 McGee Wm F Rev[erend], pastor, All Soul’s Unitarian Ch h90 Walnut av
1938 McGee Wm F Rev[erend], pastor, All Soul’s Unitarian Ch h90 Walnut av
1946 McGee Wm F Rev[erend], pastor, Unitarian Ch h54 Center |
| Census Records |
1900 William McGee. Age: 19. Birth Date: Jan 1881 in Iowa. Home in 1900: North Brownsville, Linn, OR. Single, son to HOH. Occupation: Student. Additional household members: Patrick F. McGee age 61 (father), Nora McGee age 50 (mother), Louise McGee age 21 (sister), Charley McGee age 21 (brother), Francis E. McGee age 17 (brother), Alexander McGee age 12 (brother), Grace O. McGee age 10 (sister).
1910 Wm McGee. Age: 30. Birth Date: 1880. Home in 1910: Waterloo Ward 2, Black Hawk, Iowa. Single, boarder to HOH. Occupation: Laborer in Factory. This may not be our William.
1920 William McGee. Age: 38. Birth Year: abt 1882 in Iowa. Home in 1920: Chicago Ward 33, Cook, Illinois. Married, HOH. Occupation: Salesman for Book Co. Additional household member: Anna McGee age 35 (wife).
1930 Unable to locate
1940 William McGee. Age: 59. Birth Year: abt 1881 in Iowa. Home in 1940: 54 Center St. Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California. Single, HOH. Occupation: Minister. No additional household members. |
