[40]

Legal career and marriage
Ida Saxton McKinley
Katherine McKinley
After the war ended in 1865, McKinley decided on a career in the law and began studying in the office of an attorney in Poland, Ohio.[41] The following year, he continued his studies by attending Albany Law School in New York state.[42] After studying there for less than a year, McKinley returned home and was admitted to the bar in Warren, Ohio, in March 1867.[42]
That same year, he moved to Canton, the county seat of Stark County, and set up a small office.[42] He soon formed a partnership with George W. Belden, an experienced lawyer and former judge.[43] His practice was successful enough for him to buy a block of buildings on Main Street in Canton, which provided him with a small but consistent rental income for decades to come.[43]
When his Army friend Rutherford B. Hayes was nominated for governor in 1867, McKinley made speeches on his behalf in Stark County, his first foray into politics.[44] The county was closely divided between Democrats and Republicans, but Hayes carried it that year in his statewide victory.