Frederick is born Aug 2, 1827 in Pittsburgh, PA to Thomas McKee, one of the founders of S. McKee & Co., a window glass manufacturer on the South Side, then known as Birmingham, PA.
He is the first born child of Thomas who marries Henrietta (Hetty) Zillhart in about 1826. His brothers and sisters included:
- James (b. May 4, 1829, d. May 14, 1855)
- William (b. Feb 23, 1838, d. Nov 22, 1872)
- Sellers (b. Mar 5, 1843, d. Jun 10, 1924)
- Stewart (b. Feb 5, 1845, d. Nov 11, 1885)
- Harriett (m. Morgan) (b. Mar 24, 1848, d. Aug 6, 1911)
- Henrietta (b. Jul 3, 1849, d. Jan 2, 1915)
- Emma Amelia (b. Dec 13, 1852, d. Jun 22, 1897)
In 1853, Frederick and his brother James found F. & J. McKee. However, in 1854, their warehouse was destroyed by a fire that originated from the neighboring Fahnestock & Co. at 23 Wood Street. In addition to the warehouse, they have their factory at the intersection of Clifton and Joseph Streets (now 19th Street near River Front Park in Pittsburgh’s South Side).
Sadly, just as the business started, one of the founding brothers, James, passes away in 1855 at just 26 years old. Although this leaves a gap, his siblings soon join the firm.
In 1856, William joins the business. By 1859, the company was operating under the name (F.) McKee & Bro. In 1862, another brother, Henry Sellers, joins the firm as a clerk/bookkeeper. That same year marks a change to the name most glass collectors will recognize, McKee & Bros. The partnership expanded once again in 1863 with the addition of their final sibling, Stewart.
Frederick weds Melissa Patterson Stewart around 1858, and together they welcomed two children: a son, Frederick W. (1859 – 1912), and a daughter, Melissa McKee Carnahan (1862 – 1936). Shortly before his death, in 1865, Frederick purchases a home for the family at 2127 Carson Street, just a short distance from the factory.
Since Frederick dies at the age of 37, leaving behind a significant estate to his wife and infant children, he sees it fit to call on his brother, Sellers McKee, to serve as the executor and guardian. The children remain on the South Side, making 2127 Carson Street their home until approximately 1885.
In 1878, their son Frederick graduates from Western Pennsylvania University, now known as the University of Pittsburgh, earning a Bachelor of Philosophy. He then pursued further studies at Harvard Law School before joining a legal practice in Pittsburgh.
In 1881, he and his sister petition the court for control over their inheritance. The court finds in their favor despite their uncle Sellers’ objection. The estate is estimated to be worth around $200,000.
Melissa’s mother, Margaret Sullivan Stewart, passes away in 1884. The following year, the family moves to a new home at the corner of Fifth and Highland. The Social Mirror describes Melissa as follows:
“Mrs. Melissa McKee, the widow of the glass manufacturer of that name, has built one of the finest houses in the East End, on the corner of Hiland and Fifth Avenues; $100,000, it is reported, was the cost of construction. Mrs. McKee is a plain, modest, lovable woman. From half to three-fourths of a million was the bequest Mrs. McKee received from her husband.”
William Stewart, the father of Melissa, passes away in 1888 at the residence of his daughter Amanda G. Folz in New Castle. In addition to being a politician, he was quite the capitalist. We see him very much engaged in the iron industry, co-owning the Hickory furnaces with C. C. Sullivan, as well as operating the Winfield furnaces in Butler and the Will-Roy works in Rose Point. He retired in 1865 but still had significant land in the area of Winfield. This location will become important to Frederick W. and his sons.
In 1890, Frederick W. marries Bertha F. Chadwick (1869 – 1945), the daughter of Samuel Chadwick, and they initially took residence in the Kenmawr Hotel apartments.
They had several children:
- Frederick Chadwick McKee (Jul 30, 1891 – Mar 4, 1961)
- Mary Stewart McKee (Dec 2, 1894 – May 12, 1966)
- Herbert William McKee (Dec 7, 1896 – Apr 29, 1991)
- Wallace Bruce McKee (Aug 11, 1898 – Aug 20, 1986)
On Nov 10, 1891, Frederick’s sister, Melissa Stewart, marries William Erwin Carnahan at the McKee’s residence located at the corner of Fifth and Highland. This house would serve as their home throughout their marriage.
At the time of his wedding, W.E. Carnahan worked for the family’s footwear business, J. W. Carnahan & Son, located at 413 Market Street. His father, Jay Wilson, started this business in about 1856 and was involved in many other businesses. Several years after his father’s passing in 1894, William becomes President of one of these businesses, the National Casket Company, an enterprise his father had been connected to as early as 1890.
As Melissa is settling into her married life, her brother Frederick relocates his family to a residence at 6204 Alder Street. During this time, his professional life experiences a significant lift when he takes on the role of Treasurer at Winfield Mineral Company. It’s possible that he had some ownership stake in the company due to his family ties to the region via his grandfather, William Stewart.
By 1897, Frederick also appears to be settling into his family life by buying a summer getaway in Chautauqua, NY, a popular vacation spot for many wealthy families from Pittsburgh.
By 1901, Frederick takes on the role of President at the Winfield Railroad Company and relocates to 6106 Walnut Street and then 6104 Howe Street. In 1903, he becomes President of the Duquesne Fireproofing Company located at Winfield.
Unfortunately, by the time both Frederick and Melissa seem well settled into their lives, their mother’s passes in 1905.
Both children, Frederick and Melissa, are named as heirs and, through the will, we get a glimpse into her investments. At her death, we find out that Frederick and his mother partnered in the following:
- Winfield Furnace Property (Butler and Armstrong counties)
- Winfield Mineral Company
- Winfield Branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
The year after her mother’s passing, on April 7, 1906, Melissa and her husband Will journeyed to San Francisco to visit cousins. They would soon find themselves witness to the catastrophic Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, which registered a magnitude of 7.9. Although physically unscathed, the ordeal compelled Melissa to document her experiences in a book that was published in 1908.
In 1912, Frederick, her brother, passes away, leaving his wife and kids behind. Following the death of their father and after graduating from Princeton, Frederick C., his son, steps into the family business. His entry occurs during the tumultuous times of World War I and the outbreak of the Spanish flu.
As Fred C. adjusts to his new responsibilities from his office located at Liberty and 9th Street in Pittsburgh, we witness his growing ambitions in both the political sphere and within his business endeavors. In 1917, he becomes associated with Winfield Coal Co. and subsequently with Winfield Sand Co. By this time, Bertha C. and her children are residing at 1291 Shady Avenue, which later becomes known as 1353 Shady. The residence at this address was constructed in 1901 and still exists today.
In 1919, Wallace, Fred’s brother, holds the position of Treasurer at Winfield Rail Road, with their offices located at 2215 Oliver Building, which is now known as 535 Smithfield in Pittsburgh. Around 1921, their other brother Herbert came on board as a clerk, seemingly joining a new initiative called Winfield Limestone Co. By 1926, F. C. McKee stepped into the role of V.P. at West Penn Cement Co., suggesting that Fred’s other businesses may have been sold off.
In approximately 1928, Fred transitioned into a new position as Assistant Treasurer at the National Casket Company, working under his uncle W. E. Carnahan.
Sadly, in 1936, Frederick’s aunt and his father’s sister, Melissa Stewart McKee Carnahan, passed away, leaving her husband William E. Carnahan behind.
We learn about a major shift in Fred McKee’s life in 1937 from a letter dated 1961 between the Reizensteins—well-known glass retailers and Reizart designers—and James G. Fulton, a U.S. House Representative from Pennsylvania (1945 to 1971). Largely influenced by Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, he began shifting his focus from his driven business career to include more and more civic engagements. The letter noted that this act of aggression profoundly affected him, prompting a lifelong commitment to opposing authoritarian regimes, whether in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Communist Russia, or Communist China.
He also takes on the role of family representative when, on May 31, 1938, Frederick C. delivers a speech at the unveiling of the McKee Memorial Cottage in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. This cottage was at the bequest of his great-aunt, Virginia McKee, who was married to Stewart McKee, the brother of Frederick’s grandfather.
The following year, in 1939, his uncle, W. E. Carnahan dies. He leaves no children. He does leave a trust, the Melissa S. McKee Carnahan Trust, which still exists today.
Following the passing of his uncle, he remained committed to his role at the National Casket Company as well as his community service. In 1946, he was appointed to the Civic Unity Council by Mayor David L. Lawrence. By 1948, he had advanced to the position of President at the National Casket Company. In 1953, he took on the role of Chairman for the Pittsburgh Fair Employment Practice Commission. On August 22, 1960, Mayor Joseph M. Barr honored McKee for his years of dedicated service after he announces his retirement due to health reasons.
He succumbed to cancer in 1961. At the time of his death, he resided at 234 Hunt Road in Fox Chapel and was laid to rest in the Thomas McKee family plot at Allegheny Cemetery.
As a last note, consider Ernest Gibson’s remark, the former Governor of Vermont, about McKee:
“If he isn’t widely recognized in Pittsburgh, I assure you his name resonates throughout Washington and Downing Street.”
