McKee Glass was one of the oldest Pittsburgh glass manufacturers at the turn of the 20th century. Strictly speaking, the history includes two separate branches of the family and two companies, S. McKee and McKee & Bros. Samuel McKee established his glassmaking factory on 13th St and Carson in 1836. His brother Thomas McKee was also part of this company. It is worth noting that Samuel McKee married Mary Ihmsen, the daughter of Charles Ihmsen, a glassmaker. S. McKee & Co. Business Highlights They manufactured glassware, window glass, druggists’ glassware, black ware, telegraphic insulators and other items. They operated factories on the South Side and had offices in Pittsburgh. The McKee…

The McKee operations started to move to Jeannette, PA, as early as 1887. The reasons were the lack of space to expand in Pittsburgh, creating a fragmented network of factories. There were also financial reasons for the move. A key figure in McKee’s move to Jeannette was Henry (H.) Sellers McKee, born in 1843 to Thomas McKee (d. 1864) and the eventual leader of the firm. The company was originally formed by Sellers’ two brothers Frederick (d. 1881) and James (d. 1855). Sellers two sons Thomas M. and Hart McKee also joined the firm. While Chambers produced plate glass, McKee & Bros produced a wide range of glass products. Below…