James McKay was a 19th century industrialist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The founder and owner of the James McKay Company of Pittsburgh, a manufacturer of metal chains, he was also active in oil and gas development with one of the earliest producing properties in Pennsylvania. He also was part owner of one of the largest silver mines in the state of Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

.

Early career

James McKay was born in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 in 1830, and was the first of his family to come to the shores of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He arrived here in 1848, and for a short time made his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but the year after his arrival moved to Pittsburgh. He found employment with Robert Watson, the owner of a wholesale grocery house. Later he succeeded Mr. Watson in this business and organized the firm of McKay & Philips, after a time purchasing the interests of Mr. Philips and formed the firm of McKay & Brothers, who carried on this business very successfully.

Oil Interests

Mr. McKay became identified with the oil industry in 1876, and took a small interest in a company which was formed in Pittsburgh, and which had a lease on some oil fields in Butler county, known as the "Jenkins" oil farm. Before oil was struck Mr. McKay bought out the interests of all the others concerned in this company, and shortly afterwards was successful in making a decided oil strike. This produced about three thousand dollars per day, but owing to the inadequate facilities of the time and the incompetency in handling the outflow, the greater part of this was lost. Mr. McKay, continued in this field for a number of years, and finally disposed of his interests in 1895.

Mining Interests

He then, in conjunction with W. J. Hammond, purchased in Colorado what was known as the Yankee Girl Silver Mine, which was one of the largest mines ever worked in that region of Colorado. It contained rich deposits, and Mr. McKay continued in gold and silver mining until his death.

James McKay & Co

The firm of McKay and Hammond was located at the corner of Twenty-ninth and Liberty streets, where they were engaged in the manufacture of chains. Mr. McKay purchased all the interests of his partners in 1887 and organized the firm of James McKay & Company, taking into partnership his two sons, Robert J. and J. Albert. The firm was changed to a stock company in 1905, and Mr. McKay retired, turning over all his interests to his three sons, the two mentioned above and Thomas J. The plant was located at McKee's Rocks

McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania

McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The borough population was 6,104 at the 2010 census.In the past, it was known for its extensive iron and steel interests...

, Pennsylvania, and was eventually sold in the 1960s to Teledyne

Teledyne

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an industrial conglomerate primarily based in the United States but with global operations. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky....

 Corporation.

Other Business Interests

He was the vice-president of the Duquesne National Bank of Pittsburgh for many years, and held this office at the time of his death. He was an extensive property owner in Pittsburgh, as well as in West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, Colorado, Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 and California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

Marriage

Mr. McKay married Anna Eliza Watson, daughter of Robert and Eliza (Stewart) Watson, and granddaughter of Rev. Robert Stewart, a Methodist minister of Ireland. Robert Watson and his wife were both natives of Ireland, where they were married, and emigrated to this country in 1829 or 1830. They made their first home in Kentucky, going there on a barge on the Ohio river

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

. In Kentucky Mr. Watson was a builder of flatboats, and upon coming to Pittsburgh became a contractor and builder of boats, but later engaged in the grocery trade. Both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives in Pittsburgh.

Beaumaris

In the 1880s the McKays purchased an island in the then-newly settled resort area of Beaumaris

Beaumaris, Ontario

Beaumaris is a small settlement in Ontario, Canada, on Lake Muskoka which once served as an important transit point during the steamship era on the lake, and once hosted a summer hotel, called the Beaumaris Hotel and a post office...

 on Lake Muskoka

Lake Muskoka

Lake Muskoka is located between Port Carling and Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. The lake is surrounded by many cottages. The lake is primarily in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, with the southeast corner in the Town of Gravenhurst. The Town of Bala, Ontario is located on the southwest shores of the...

, Ontario. The island, named "Fairholm" was conceived as a family enclave for the summer, much like similar developments during this era in the Adirondack Mountains

Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....

. McKay eventually built four cottages on the island which were shared by his children and passed down to their offspring. To this day, three of the cottages are still owned by McKay's descendants and are enjoyed by the sixth consecutive generation.

Children

McKay died on April 30, 1906 and his wife died July 15, 1929.

Mr. and Mrs. McKay were the parents of several children:

• Robert J. McKay
• Elizabeth McKay
• J. Albert McKay
• Anna E. McKay
• Thomas J. McKay
• Elizabeth P. McKay
• Edna M McKay
• Carrie Isabel McKay
• Alice B McKay