Janis' Genealogy Site
Davis Keeley
Summary
- Born: 17 December 1820
- Died: 18 January 1908
- Father: Jacob Keeley
- Mother: Sophia Shuler
- Spouse: Barbara Landis
Biography
Biographical and Portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, pg 517
Davis Keeley, now living a retired life at Phoenixville, was for over half a century one of the most active and energetic citizens of the county. He is a son of Jacob and Sophia (Shuler) Keeley, and was born in West Caln township, Chester County, PA, December 17, 1820. He was reared in his native county, received a good business education in private and select schools, and then learned the trade of carpenter, which he quit three years later to learn millwrighting. After learning his second trade, he entered the employ of the Phoenix Iron Company, as superintendent of the erection of all buildings and machinery, with whom he remained for thirty-six years. During that time he had charge of buildgin the blast furnaces and keeping them in running order. He raised the large iron mill in 1874 in five months, which is 960 X 480 feet in dimensions, and set up part of the machinery for running, and then was stopped for a period. During the last ten years he was with the company he had charge of the running of the gree blast-furnaces. He resigned his position in 1876 and three years later went to Morris county, New Jersey, and engaged with George H. Brown, of New York, president of the Port Oram Iron Company, to remodel their blast furnace and superintend the running of it for nearly two years. From New Jersey he went to Albany, the capital of the Empire State. Here hs engaged with the Albany City Iron Company to superintend the remodeling of one furnace to run on Bessemer iron and one on foundry iron and mill, and ran the two blast furnaces for nearly two years. At the end of that time he engaged with the Merion Iron Company, at Conshohocken, Montgomery County, PA, to superintend the remodeling of one furnace and the running of the two for nearly two years -- J. B. Moorhead, president, of Philadelphia. Next removed to Norristown, November 1, 1886, and engaged with Isaac McHose, of Reading, Berks county, PA, to superintend the remodeling of the Norristown furnace to run of Bessemer iron, and superintent the running for six months; and then, on the first of October, 1887, engaged with Charles Richardson, of Philadelphia, to superintend the remodeling of the Edge Hill furnace in Montgomery county, PA, and to instruct his two sons to run the furnace, for nearly two years, and on March 1, 1889, he returned to his native place, Phoenixville, where he has been living a retired life ever since.
In political opinion Davis Keeley is a republican, regularly attends the Methodist Episcopal church, and is a member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 212, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been initiated April 7, 1847.
On January 12, 1843, Davis Keeley married Barbara Lanids, who was a daughter of Peter Landis, and died June 16, 1889, at the age of 68 years. To their union were born two children, one son and a daughter: Jerome, a prominent iron commission merchant of Philadelphia; and Sophia E., now the wife of Richard Griffith, a prosperous farmer of this county.
His grandfather, Jacob Keeley, sr., was born in Montgomery county in 1738, and died in East Vincent township in 1810, at seventy-two years of age. He followed farming for many years and afterward kept hotel at Sheeder's paper mill, on French creek, in East Vincent township. He was a Presbyterian, married, and was the father of five children. His son, Jacob Keeley (father), was born in Montgomery county in 1772, and died in this county in 1828, aged sixty years. He learned harness making, at which he worked until his death. He married Sophia Shuler, a daughter of William Shuler, a Presbyterian and democrat, who was born in Montgomery county about 1762, and removed to Chester county, settling on French creek, in East Vincent township. He owned a large flouring mill and linseed oil mill, and in his community was a prominent man and an influential citizen.
Go to Keeley Surname Page
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Jul-2008 06:03:50 MDT