author
Duncan E. McKinlay
b. 1862
A Canadian-born lawyer and congressman who also wrote about one of the great engineering projects of his era, he brought a practical, public-minded voice to big questions about trade and progress. His work reflects the optimism and ambition surrounding the Panama Canal in the early 20th century.
1 Audiobook
The Panama Canal
by Duncan E. McKinlay
About the author
Born in Orillia, Ontario, on October 6, 1862, he later moved to the United States and built a varied career before entering public life. Early on he worked as a carriage painter, then studied law, was admitted to the California bar in 1899, and began practicing in Santa Rosa.
He went on to serve as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California, holding office from 1905 to 1911. That background helps explain the tone of his writing: direct, civic-minded, and closely tied to the economic and political interests of the American West.
He is remembered today both as a public official and as the author of The Panama Canal, a work that fits the period's fascination with infrastructure, expansion, and global commerce. He died in Berkeley, California, on December 30, 1914.