My Genealogy Hound

COL. SAMUEL McKELVY was born May 1, 1814, in Pittsburgh, Pa., son of Hugh McKelvy, Jr. The grandparents of our subject, Hugh and Elizabeth McKelvy, came to America in 1796, and brought with them a large family of children: James, John, David, William, Hugh (the father of our subject), Mrs. Betsey McCracken, Mrs. Strain and another daughter who came to America earlier. The grandfather came to Pittsburgh in 1796, and rented the farm (where Twenty-eighth street now is) of Col. James O’Hara. The father of our subject was by trade a brickmaker; was a colonel in the militia, and eventually became a councilman; was also a coal-merchant; politically he was a democrat. He died in May, 1835, aged fifty-five years; his wife, nee Nancy McGowan, died aged eighty-four years. Samuel succeeded his father in business, became the founder of the cast-steel business in Pittsburgh, and started the McKelvy & Blair Cast-steel and File Manufacturing company. He was largely interested in other business enterprises, and was prominently identified with all movements tending to the material progress and development of his native city. In 1855 he had a tract of land in Pridevale, W. Va., of 13,000 acres, on which he had three blast-furnaces in operation. When the war broke out he abandoned business and volunteered for the service. He was early connected with the Duquesne Greys, of which organization he was for a time captain. He was appointed to the commissary department, eventually becoming chief of the commissary of the third army corps, on the staff of Gen. Heintzelman. After the second battle of Bull run he was placed in charge of the convalescent camp near Washington, D. C, where he did duty until toward the close of the war, when he was appointed chief commissary of cavalry under Gen. Sheridan. He resigned, but Secretary Stanton declined his resignation. After the war Col. McKelvy was appointed United States marshal for the western district of Pennsylvania and took an active part in politics. He was a pronounced democrat, and always took a prominent part in the committees and conventions of that party, at one time being chairman of the county committee. He died somewhat suddenly, March 24, 1889, having been in ill health for some years.

Col. McKelvy married Anna B. Pride, who was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 3, 1819, a daughter of David Pride, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest and best-known citizens, and who was a contractor and builder and large property-owner; he came to Pittsburgh when a lad, in 1785, with his mother and two sisters, Sarah and Marion. Mrs. McKelvy preceded her husband to the grave about two weeks. They left behind them three daughters and four sons: daughters—Mrs. Charles G. Wood, of Sewickley; Mrs. J. A. Quay, wife of the superintendent of Morganza, and Miss Anna P.; and sons — Dr. W. A. McKelvy, of Kansas; W. H. S., of Sewickley, and James and Roden, of Pittsburgh.