Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, pp. 674, 677
Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1888.

THOMAS G. McKEE, sheriff of Tippecanoe County, is a native of Indiana, born in Rush County, Indiana, August 24, 1829, a son of ELI C. and NANCY H. McKEE. The grandfather of our subject, SAMUEL McKEE, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He removed form the present site of McKeesport (called after a member of the McKEE family) to Hamilton County, Ohio, settling near Cincinnati in 1797, when that city was a small village, and there he spent the rest of his life.

ELI C. McKEE, the father of our subject, was reared in Hamilton County, Ohio, and when a young man went to Rush County, Indiana. He was married while living in Rush County, to MISS NANCY H. GRIFFING, who was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, remaining in her native county until sixteen years of age, when she removed with her father's family to Harrison, Indiana. Her father, EBENEZER GRIFFING, was a second cousin of the noted TOM CORWIN. In 1833 ELI C. McKEE removed with his family to Lauramie Township, Tippecanoe County, which he had previously visited in 1828, and located on 160 acres of barren land which he had purchased. He improved the land on which he first located, living on it until his death, which occurred January 19, 1877. In politics he was formerly a Henry Clay Whig, but became identified with the Republican party on its organization. He was a member of the Universalist church, his wife being a member of the Baptist church. She died August 27, 1876.

THOMAS G. McKEE, whose name heads this sketch, was but four years of age when the family settled in Tippecanoe County, and here he has since made his home, his youth being spent in assisting with the work of the farm, and attending the early schools of the county. He resided with his parents until his marriage, April 1, 1851, to MISS JULIA ANN ABBOTT, a native of Rush County, Indiana, and a daughter of BENJAMIN ABBOTT, who removed with his family to Tippecanoe County, in 1832, and died at Battle Ground in 1866. His wife died in Clinton in 1842. MR. and MRS. McKEE are the parents of four children--HARRIETT ANN, THOMAS CORWIN, MARK M. and MAUDE E.

After his marriage MR. McKEE bought land in Lauramie Township, where he has since made his home. In 1872 he began buying and shipping stock, to which he has since paid considerable attention. He never ran for public office until 1886. August 14 of that year he was nominated by the Republican County Convention for sheriff of Tippecanoe County, and November following was elected to that office, which he has since filled to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. He has been a member of the Republican Central Committee of Tippecanoe County several times. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the Masonic lodge at Clark's Hill.