A. A. McKnight served as Denver's third City Auditor for two terms, 1887 to 1889, and 1889 to 1891. The date and place of his birth are unknown. Arriving in Denver in 1880, he went to work for W. F. Thompson as a teamster in the lumber region. A. A. McKnight characterized himself and his work with an indomitable will and energy and was soon promoted through the ranks of the company. First promoted to shipping clerk and then to bookkeeper, he soon progressed to travelling salesman, and finally manager of the firm.
Mr. McKnight held this managerial position until 1887, when the Republican Party nominated him for the office of City Auditor. Elected in 1887 and again in 1889, A. A. McKnight became the first man to serve more than one term as City Auditor.
During his two terms at the Auditor's Office, he engaged in several enterprises and business dealings. McKnight is known to have purchased what was then called Murray Hill. Buying the land for $20,000 and selling it exactly thirty-eight days later for $32,500, he netted $12.500 profit. Another business dealing was the purchase of Villa Park for $191,000: Villa Park is the area between 6th and 13th Avenues at Federal and the alley between Perry and Quitman Streets. Mr. McKnight was instrumental in initiating development and improvements in Villa Park, among which were electric street railways and running water, schools, churches, and housing. He later closed out to a syndicate for $224,000, once again netting a handsome profit and keeping a share of the ownership.
Following his tenure as City Auditor, Mr. McKnight became head of the real estate, loans, investments, and securities firm of McKnight, Best, and Company. He moved away from Denver in 1893, and there are no records or indexes of him following that year.