James Alexander MacKenzie (1846-1905), was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 17, 1846, to Scottish immigrant parents Duncan MacKenzie and Jean "Jennie" Hamilton. He was raised in Hutchinson, Minnesota, during the 1850s. In 1862, his family moved to Minneapolis, where James worked as a traveling musical instrument salesman. In 1875, James was granted the first of his three patents for dulcimer improvements. In 1880, James married fifteen-year-old Eva Skinner (1865-1891), already a trained singer. From 1865 until 1891 James and Eva toured the country together, demonstrating and selling his musical inventions. James and Eva had two daughters, Maud Blanche MacKenzie and Pearl Marie MacKenzie. On November 28, 1891, the family was on a fatal railroad collision in Toledo, Ohio. James escaped, while an explosion fatally scalded Eva and their two daughters. As a result of injuries, Maud died the next day, Pearl died four days after, and Eva died 24 days after the collision, on December 22, 1891.
In December 1892, James married Mary Lillian Holtz (1868-1920), a member of his touring musical troop. In 1895 they moved to Hennepin, Minnesota, and in 1896 their daughter Myrtle Harriet MacKenzie (1896-1997) was born. James and Mary divorced in 1897. James continued manufacturing harps in Minneapolis, but sometime around 1898 his instrument shop, reported to have contained over 100 instruments at the time was destroyed by fire. James married a third time on August 3, 1898 to Anna Louise Kixmoeller. They had two children, Earl Hamilton MacKenzie (1899-1990), Gail and Marguerite MacKenzie (1901-2001). Earl was also nicknamed Gail. Anna died in 1904. James took his own life on May 4, 1905, in Eddyville, Iowa. James and Anna died, both children were adopted by Anna’s parents and Marguerite kept the last name of her grandparents, Kixmoeller. When he was an adult, Earl legally changed his name to Douglas Earl MacKenzie. Siblings of James MacKenzie were Elizabeth Hamilton MacKenzie, John Hamilton MacKenzie, David Duncan MacKenzie, Janette Rosetta MacKenzie, Jenny Maria MacKenzie, William Lyon MacKenzie, Sarah MacKenzie, Robert Lloyd MacKenzie, Joseph A. MacKenzie.
Submitted by: Douglas E. MacKenzie, Jr. (Grandson of James MacKenzie)
Photographs relating to the life of James Alexander MacKenzie, his family and friends, including the death of his first wife Eva Louise MacKenzie and their two daughters in a railroad disaster in Toledo, Ohio, in 1891.
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Donor: Possibly part of Robbins gift, January 1981.
Processed by Leah Pistorius, 2018
In 1875, James MacKenzie was granted the first of his three patents for dulcimer improvements. With this patent. No. 171,031, he claimed the invention of a dulcimer with strings "mounted above and below the soundboard."
Patented October 27, 1891, MacKenzie's third invention was the Piano Harp. MacKenzie is quoted in the Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology Hammered Dulcimer in America, by Nancy Groc: "My instrument may be called an 'improved dulcimer'; but I have given it a new name of 'piano-harp.' This name is more appropriate than dulcimer as defining the invention, because first, it may be played with hammers, and when so played it yields the full, deep tones of the piano-forte, and not the thin wiry tones of the old dulcimer; secondly, having placed each group of strings (giving the different tones) one-third closer to each other than they are on the ordinary dulcimer, the player is able to reach an octave of strings with the fingers, as upon the piano-forte, so that when playing with the hammers (one in each hand) the fingers may also be brought into play in the same strain of music either alternately or without breaking the time, thus giving the results of both piano and harp."
An obituary of Eva MacKenzie is on the verso.
Written on verso: "One Singer less on Earth, One more in Heaven. Eva L. MacKenzie, Aged Twenty-Six Years, Nine Months and Four Days, Was in the fatal railroad disaster at Toledo, O., November 28th, 1891. Survived the wreck 24 days. She sacrificed her life to save her two only children. Her husband, J.A. MacKenzie, after breaking a jam forming at the closed door and wrenching it open, was carried by the current of human burning flesh in to the gutter below. In a car filled with boiling steam she battled in obscurity while her babes (Maudie ten and Pearlie four years) were repeatedly dashed from her grasp by stalwart men, who also trampled her down while making their individual escape. The last to leave the car she brought with her Pearlie in one arm, while dragging Maudie by her clothing with the other hand to the door."
Jean "Jennie" Hamilton MacKenzie was the mother of James. A. MacKenzie. She was born on March 2, 1804, in Dumbarton, Scotland, to John Hamilton and Elizabeth MacFarlane. In 1828 she married Duncan MacKenzie in Glasgow, Scotland. She died at the age of 78 on May 14, 1882, in Holmes City, Minnesota.
Josephine House MacKenzie is the sister-in-law of James A. MacKenzie. She was born about 1850 in Illinois. On March 15, 1867, at the age of 17 she married Robert Loyd MacKenzie. She had four children: son Robert MacKenzie (1868-1868), son Josie MacKenzie (1868-? ), son Adrian MacKenzie (1869-1870), son Frederick Ewing MacKenzie (1870 - 1966). Josephine died February 26, 1880 in Excelsior, Hennepin, Minnesota.
Photographs 28-30 are of the same woman
The crayon photograph process involved printing a photograph lightly on paper and then the artist would draw over it to make it look like a drawing.
Writing on verso in German identifies the child and the date.