McKeesport is a city in

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...

, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. It is Allegheny County's second biggest city after

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

History

Early history

David McKee emigrated from Scotland and was the first permanent white settler at the forks of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers, the site of present-day McKeesport, in 1755. Around the time of the

French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

often came to McKeesport to visit his friend,

Queen Alliquippa Queen Alliquippa or Queen Aliquippa (died December 23, 1754) was a leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century. Biography Little is known about Queen Aliquippa's early life. Her date of birth has been ...

, a

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

Indian ruler. The Colonial Government granted David McKee exclusive right of ferrage over those rivers on April 3, 1769, called "McKee's Port". His son, John McKee, an original settler of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, built a log cabin at this location. After taking over his father's local river ferry business, he devised a plan for a city to be called McKee's Port in 1795. John set out his proposal in the ''

Pittsburgh Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'', as part of a program under which new residents could purchase plots of land for $20.00. A lottery was used to distribute the plots to avoid complaints from new land owners concerning "inferior" locations.

1800s

McKeesport, then part of Versailles Township, began to grow in 1830 when

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

of the large deposits of bituminous coal in the region began. The first schoolhouse was built in 1832, with James E. Huey as its schoolmaster. National Tube Works Company, McKeesport, 1888

National Tube Works Company, McKeesport, 1888

McKeesport was incorporated as a borough in 1842, and the city's first steel mill was established in 1851. The

National Tube Works National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

opened in 1872, and in the years directly following, according to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, McKeesport was the fastest growing municipality in the nation. Families arrived from other parts of the eastern United States, Italy, Germany, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, with most working at the National Tube Works.

1900s

McKeesport rose to national importance during the 1900s as a center for manufacturing steel. In 1899, the National Tube Works Company was consolidated with twenty other pipemaking firms in the northeastern United States to form the National Tube Company. In 1901, the National Tube Company and nine other major American steel companies merged to form U.S. Steel. The city's population continued to grow steadily, reaching a peak of 55,355 in 1940. The subsequent decline since then is attributable to the general economic malaise that descended upon the region when the steelmaking industry moved elsewhere.

Tornado

On June 23, 1944, an F4 tornado struck the southern part of McKeesport, killing 17 people. Many multiple-story residences collapsed. In all, 88 homes in the city were destroyed, 306 were damaged, and 400 other buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Kennedy-Nixon debate

Thirteen years before both faced off in some of the most memorable televised Presidential debates, future presidents (and contemporary

U.S. Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

) Richard M. Nixon and

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

met in McKeesport for their first of five debates on April 22, 1947, to debate labor issues related to the Taft-Hartley Act.

Famous Fire

On May 21, 1976, downtown McKeesport experienced the largest fire in the city's history, referred to as the "Famous Fire", due to the fire beginning in the "Famous Department Store" on Market and Fifth Streets. The fire destroyed seven downtown structures, heavily damaged more than 12 others, and started fires in at least 10 homes due to hot embers blowing more than a half mile due to heavy gusting winds. Around 1,000 firefighters from more than 40 neighboring fire companies responded to

assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...

, and a contingent of the

Pennsylvania Army National Guard The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvan ...

were deployed. The McKeesport Daily News reported the next day that "only shells and piles of rubble" remained "where city landmarks once stood."

Closure of steel mills

National Tube closed in the 1980s, along with other U.S. Steel plants in the Mon Valley. The city, with the help of regional development agencies, has conducted efforts to revitalize the former mill sites.

Geography

McKeesport has a total area of , of which is land and , or 7.06%, is water. McKeesport is located about upstream, and south, from

, at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The city is on the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York (state), New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Oh ...

, within the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

of the Western Allegheny Plateau. The downtown area is located to the northwest, while the southern and eastern areas of the city are primarily residential.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, McKeesport has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

The population has fallen to little more than a third of its wartime high, with the 2010 census recording fewer than twenty thousand residents in contrast to the fifty-five thousand of 1940. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 24,040 people, 9,655 households, and 5,976 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 4,806.9 people per square mile (1,856.4/km²). There were 11,124 housing units at an average density of 2,224.3 per square mile (859.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 24.46%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.12%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.59% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.14% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.50% of the population. There were 9,655 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,715, and the median income for a family was $31,577. Males had a median income of $27,412 versus $21,977 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,242. About 18.1% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 35.9% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

McKeesport's population is a diverse mix of races and nationalities. As a celebration of these heritages, McKeesport hosts an annual ethnic food festival and community celebration referred to as International Village. Started in 1960, the three-day festival is one of the Pittsburgh-area's largest and oldest ethnic festivals and features traditional cuisines from Africa, China, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, the Mediterranean, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Vietnam.

Health care

Founded in 1894, UPMC McKeesport offers 216 beds for acute care patients and 56 beds for patients who need skilled nursing care. Located at 1500 Fifth Ave, the hospital joined the UPMC network in April 1998. In addition to an Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Care Unit, the hospital offers ongoing rehabilitation and educational programs to patients with cardiac, neurologic, and orthopaedic diagnoses. A new, state-of-the-art emergency room opened in December 1999.

Law, government and politics

Government

McKeesport operates under a home rule charter based on a “Strong Mayor”/Council form of government, adopted in 1974.

Mayor

Under the Home Rule Charter, the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

is elected at large and cannot be a member of the City Council. The Mayor serves as the leader of the City government, and is vested exclusive executive and administrative authority. Under the Home Rule Charter, the Mayor may appoint a Deputy Mayor from among the department executives. The current Mayor of McKeesport is

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Michael Cherepko, a former City Councilman and McKeesport Area School District teacher, He was elected in 2011, defeating

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

candidate Raymond Malinchak and was re-elected for a second and third term, commencing in January 2016 and January 2020 respectively. Mayors assume office in the January following election.

Mayor's Committees

Mayor's Committees were first developed in their current form by Michael Cherepko and serve as advisory bodies with no formal powers. The Select Committee on Crime and Violence was formed in 2012, responsible for addressing the problems of crime and violence by utilizing resources and seeking funding for youth and adult initiatives. The McKeesport Message Committee was subsequently developed as a subgroup to promote the city's message of "Respect, Dignity, Hope, and Love" which encourages residents' pride in the city. This subgroup promotes this through community and school engagement and creative marketing. The Mayor's Committee on Community Issues was formed in 2014, responsible for providing dialogue between McKeesport residents, the Mayor's Office and other city departments.

City Council

The McKeesport

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

consists of seven individuals elected “at large” for staggered four‐ year terms. A President and Vice President is elected among themselves. The Council acts as the legislative body and is responsible for establishing policy through the adoption of ordinances, resolutions, or motions. Most government action and legislative authority in City government rests with the City Council, as well as the confirmation of certain appointments by the Mayor.

Politics

Law enforcement

The McKeesport Police Department is one of the largest municipal law enforcement agencies in the region, presently employing 52 sworn officers, and is one of the few departments in Allegheny County with its own detective bureau and traffic division. It operates closely with the

Allegheny County Police Department The Allegheny County Police Department is a law enforcement agency in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The department provides law enforcement services to County property, including the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Allegheny County Airpo ...

, which provides investigative and forensic services for serious crimes such as homicide and the

Allegheny County Sheriff's Office The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency that serves Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and is the largest sheriff's office in the state. The ACSO serves as a local arm of the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System in a num ...

, which provides transport and detention services. Other agencies also provide law enforcement within the city due to overlapping jurisdictions, such as the

Port Authority Police Department The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, or Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), is a law enforcement agency in New York and New Jersey, the duties of which are to protect and to enforce state and city laws at all t ...

, McKeesport Area School District, and Penn State Greater Allegheny Police & Public Safety.

Transport

Road

Pennsylvania Route 148 runs through downtown Mckeesport, ending in south McKeesport at the junction of Route 48. The Yellow Belt follows Route 148 from the east, to the Jerome Street Bridge. Route 148 Truck runs exclusively within McKeesport, following Market Street three blocks to the west of the narrower mainline Route 148. McKeesport is also connected to Route 837 by the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge, the terminus of the

Green Belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...

, providing a direct link to Pittsburgh.

Rail

McKeesport is the beginning of the

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

Pittsburgh Subdivision, where it meets the Mon Subdivision. It is also served by the Transtar Union Railroad, which absorbed the McKeesport Connecting Railroad in 2013. The city was formerly served by the PATrain commuter service, known as the "Mckeesporter", until 1989.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

also provided intercity rail service via the ''

Capitol Limited The ''Capitol Limited'' is a daily Amtrak train between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, running via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's ''Capitol Limited'' which ended in 197 ...

'' between Chicago and Washington D.C. from 1982 to 1990.

Public transport

The city is served by the

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT, formerly Port Authority of Allegheny County) is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest in the United States. The state-funded agency is based in Pittsburgh and is overseen ...

intracity and intercity bus network, and Heritage Community Transportation. The McKeesport Transportation Center serves as the primary transit hub of the city, and underwent a $1 million redevelopment in 2017.

Surrounding and adjacent communities

McKeesport has five land borders, including the Township of North Versailles to the north-northeast, the Borough of White Oak to the east, and Borough of Versailles to the south. The section of the city west of the Monongahela River and Youghiogheny River confluence is bordered by the Borough of Port Vue to the south and the Borough of Glassport to the southwest. The City of Duquesne is located north across the Monongahela River, connected by the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge, as is Dravosburg and

West Mifflin West Mifflin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The population was 20,313 at the 2010 census. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, 1st Governor of Pennsylvania, signer of the Un ...

, connected by the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge. Port Vue, the Borough of Liberty and Elizabeth Township are located across the Youghiogheny River to the west, connected by the 15th Street Bridge.

Landmarks

* Renziehausen Park Rose Garden and Arboretum * Penn State University - Greater Allegheny Campus *

McKeesport Area High School McKeesport Area High School is a public high school located in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States. The school, which is located at 1960 Eden Park Boulevard, serves students from Dravosburg, McKeesport, South Versailles, Versailles, and Whi ...

* Great Allegheny Passage Trail * Steel Valley Trail *

Youghiogheny River Trail The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is a rail trail between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cumberland, Maryland. Together with the C&O Canal towpath, the GAP is part of a route between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., that is popular with through ...

St Mary's German Church St. Mary's (German) Church was a Roman Catholic church in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, noteworthy for being the only church in the United States built in the early Christian Basilica model. During the 1980s, the church hosted a Broadway-inspired sta ...

* First Methodist Episcopal Church of McKeesport * Carnegie Free Library * Jerome Street Bridge *

McKeesport Marina McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. It ...

McKeesport National Bank McKeesport National Bank (now McKeesport City Hall) located at 5th Avenue and Sinclair Street in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was built from 1889 to 1891. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Histor ...

Dead Man's Hollow Dead Man's Hollow is a 450 acre conservation area located along the Youghiogheny River just south of the City of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. The conservation area spans three municipalities which include Liberty Borough, Lincoln Borough, and Elizab ...

Notable people

Academia

* George Marcus, anthropologist * Sherman Mellinkoff, second dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles *

Merrill Singer Merrill Singer (b. October 6, 1950 McKeesport, PA, USA) is a medical anthropologist and professor emeritus in Anthropology at The University of Connecticut and in Community Medicine at The University of Connecticut Health Center. He is best known ...

, anthropologist * Herbert Spiegel, psychiatrist, "father of hypnosis"

Actors and broadcasters

Grover Dale Grover Dale is an American actor, dancer, choreographer, theater director, and publisher. Early life Dale was born Grover Robert Aitken in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Emma Bertha (Ammon) and Ronal Rittenhouse Aitken, a restaurateur. He stud ...

, actor, dancer, choreographer, director * Aline MacMahon,

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

-nominated actress *

Tamara Tunie Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...

, actress, singer * Richard Wilson, screenwriter and director

Business and industry

* Raymond J. Lane, managing partner of GreatPoint Ventures, former partner at Kleiner Perkins, former president and chief operating officer of Oracle Corporation *

Helen Richey Helen Richey (November 21, 1909 – January 7, 1947) was a pioneering female aviator and the first woman to be hired as a pilot by a commercial airline in the United States. In 1933, she and her flying partner, Frances Harrell Marsalis, set ...

, first woman pilot of a commercial airliner * Robert J. Stevens, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin

Military

Donald M. Carpenter Donald Marshall Carpenter (March 6, 1894 – April 4, 1940) was an early naval aviator in the United States Navy flying from the and . These were the first two aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in the C ...

, aviator in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

Franklin J. Phillips Franklin J. Phillips (October 20, 1874 – July 16, 1900), also known as Harry Fisher, was a soldier and Marine, and after serving in the United States Marine Corps as a private, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor for actions during the ...

also known as A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Harry Fisher,

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient

Musicians and artists

Sheila Butler Sheila Butler (born 1938) is an American-Canadian visual artist and retired professor, now based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is a founding member of Mentoring Artists for Women's Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba and the Sanavik Inuit Cooperative ...

, visual artist * Byron Janis, pianist *

Henrietta Leaver Henrietta Leaver (March 28, 1916 – September 18, 1993), Miss Pittsburgh, was crowned Miss America on September 7, 1935, at Atlantic City in New Jersey. She was 19 years old. Early life Leaver was born to George and Celia Applegate. She ...

, Miss America 1935 *

Duane Michals Duane Michals ( "Michaels"; born February 18, 1932) is an American photographer. Michals's work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy. Education and career Michals's interest in ar ...

, photographer *

Sam Sneed Sam Sneed (born Sam Anderson; February 29, 1968) is an American producer and rapper. He originally got his start working as a producer for K-Solo and the Hit Squad. Biography Early years In 1993 he was signed to Death Row Records, releasing o ...

, music producer and rapper * Jerry Tachoir, jazz

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...

and

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

player *

Mort Weiss Mort Weiss was a jazz clarinet player. On his first album as leader he performed with Joey DeFrancesco on the Hammond B3 organ, featured also on his second album ''B3 and Me'' (recorded in 2003 but not released until 2006). According to Scott Yan ...

, jazz clarinet player

Sports

Auto racing

* Tommy Gale,

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

Winston Cup driver in the 1970s and 1980s

Baseball

* Tim Conroy, former major league pitcher *

Brian Holton Brian John Holton (born November 29, 1959) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from 1985 to 1990. He was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series winners, notching a save i ...

, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

relief pitcher *

Rick Krivda Richard Michael Krivda (born January 19, 1970) is an American former baseball pitcher. Krivda pitched 12 years in professional baseball and won a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics. Krivda graduated from McKeesport High School in 1988. He then went ...

, MLB pitcher and 2000 Olympic gold medalist *

Tom Qualters Thomas Francis Qualters (born April 1, 1935), nicknamed ''Money Bags'', is a former right-handed major league baseball pitcher, born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He played with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s. At ...

, former MLB pitcher *

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

, former MLB outfielder and coach *

Gary Ross Gary Ross (born November 3, 1956) is an American film director, writer, and producer. He is best known for writing and directing the fantasy comedy-drama film '' Pleasantville'' (1998), the sports drama film '' Seabiscuit'' (2003), the sci-fi act ...

, former MLB pitcher

Basketball

Swin Cash Swintayla Marie "Swin" Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played professionally for 15 seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She currently serves as vice preside ...

, WNBA player, 2000 and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist

Bullfighting

* Bette Ford, first American bullfighter to fight in the Plaza Mexico

Football

* Jim Beirne, former AFL/NFL wide receiver,

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

(1968–1973, 1976), San Diego Chargers (1974–1975) * Ron Crosby, NFL and USFL player *

Dave Gasser David Gasser (born October 7, 1942) is an American-born Canadian football player who played for the Edmonton Eskimos., where he wore jersey uniform number 65. He previously played football at West Texas State University. He later worked as a polic ...

, former Canadian Football League linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos (1967–1972) *

Khaleke Hudson Khaleke Hudson (born December 6, 1997) is an American football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan and was drafted by Washington in the fifth round of the 2020 N ...

, NFL Linebacker,

Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...

(2020– ) * Branden Jackson, NFL Defensive End, Oakland Raiders (2016), Seattle Seahawks (2017– )The Raging Bull. Toms River North Mariners. 1990–1992 *

Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United Stat ...

, former Notre Dame and NFL tight end *

Maurice Leggett Maurice Lamar Leggett (also known as Moe Leggett) (born October 2, 1986) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was previously a member of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League and the Winnipeg Blue ...

, former

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

cornerback * Mike Logan, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety * Bob Long, former NFL wide receiver, Green Bay Packers (1964–1967), Atlanta Falcons (1968),

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

(1969), Los Angeles Rams (1970) * Bill Miller, former AFL wide receiver,

Dallas Texans Dallas Texans may refer to: American football *Dallas Texans (NFL), 1952 team in the National Football League *Dallas Texans (AFL), 1960–1962 team that is now the Kansas City Chiefs * Dallas Texans (arena), 1990–1993 Arena Football League team ...

(1962), Buffalo Bills (1963), Oakland Raiders (1964–1968); two TD catches in Super Bowl II * George Mrkonic, football player for the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

* Greg Paterra, NFL player *

Brandon Short Brandon Darrell Short (born July 11, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Penn State University, and was ...

, former NFL linebacker, New York Giants (2000–2003, 2006),

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

(2004–2005) * Jim Trimble, former NFL and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

head football coach

Politicians and governmental leaders

, leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century * Frank Buchanan, former mayor of McKeesport and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, husband of Vera Buchanan * Vera Buchanan, former member of the

, wife of Frank Buchanan *

William Henry Coleman William Henry Coleman (December 28, 1871 – June 3, 1943) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography William H. Coleman was born in North Versailles Township, Pennsylvania. He graduated fr ...

, former member of the

Marc Gergely Marc J. Gergely (born October 17, 1969) was a Democratic Party member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 35th District and was elected in 2002. He was the Deputy Whip and was the only Democrat from Allegheny County t ...

, Pennsylvania state representative * John E. McLaughlin, former

Deputy Director of Central Intelligence The Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DD/CIA) is a statutory office () and the second-highest official of the Central Intelligence Agency. The DD/CIA assists the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) and is author ...

* Emil Mrkonic, former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives *

Bill Shuster William Franklin Shuster (; born January 10, 1961) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 2001 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party, and is a son of former Congressman Bud Shuster. In J ...

, member of the

* Al Benedict, Pennsylvania Auditor General from 1977 to 1985 * Austin Davis, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor-elect (2023 to 2027)

Writers

* Bob Carroll, Jr., television screenwriter noted for his work on ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'' *

Marc Connelly Marcus Cook Connelly (December 13, 1890 – December 21, 1980) was an American playwright, director, producer, performer, and lyricist. He was a key member of the Algonquin Round Table, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930. Biogra ...

, playwright *

John Hoerr John Hoerr (December 12, 1930 – June 21, 2015) was an American journalist and historian best known for his work on organized labor, industry, and politics. He began a journalistic career in 1956 with United Press International in Newark, New Jer ...

, journalist and author of ''And the Wolf Finally Came: The Decline of the American Steel Industry'' * David Kalstone, writer and literary critic * Robert M. McBride, writer and publisher

In popular culture

McKeesport appears briefly in the

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...

comic Dark Reign: Zodiac#1. The 2009 novel ''Monongahela Dusk'', by John Hoerr, is set in 1940s McKeesport. The

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

series '' Mindhunter'' used downtown McKeesport as 1977

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

. In season four of the Classic Cartoon Rocky & Bullwinkle, McKeesport is featured in two episodes "Goof Gas Attack" & "McKeesport on the Prod or The Pennsylvania Poker". In the film Tommy Boy, Chris Farley remarks "I don't see any McKeesport" when looking for the city on a road map.

Gallery

File:Carnegie Library McKeesport 2018a.jpg, The Carnegie Free Library of McKeesport, built in 1902 File:JeromeStreetBridge.jpg, The Jerome Street Bridge (aka Lysle Blvd or 5th Avenue Bridge) File:Mckeesport riverfront trail.jpg, Sign along

References

External links

City of McKeesport official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKeesport, Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1795 Pittsburgh metropolitan area Cities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania populated places on the Monongahela River 1795 establishments in Pennsylvania