'96 Ranger Won't Start

[WaPa59]

Hello. Newbie here. I have a '96, 2WD, 4 cyl, manual Ranger that I started having trouble starting about 5 years ago. It suddenly would not crank over on the first turn of the key. All it did was make a clicking sound that sounded like it was coming from under the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. But it did turn over and start on the second try. Fast forward 5 years and so a few weeks ago, I was up to 10 tries of the key before it would turn over and start. Last week though, it didn't start after 10 tries or even 30 tries. So I jumped the starter solenoid and it only made a whirring sound. It did not engage the starter. I lightly hit the starter and the solenoid with a hammer and the starter finally tried to turn the flywheel but it immediately made a grinding noise so I stopped. I assumed I needed new parts so I bought a new starter and solenoid. Sadly, it still only makes a clicking sound underneath the dashboard when I try to start it. It does not crank/turnover. So I jumped the new solenoid and it still only makes a whirring sound. It does not engage the starter. Do I have a bad ignition switch or starter relay? How do I test for either of these? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!