ROBERT McKEAN, a successful business man of Charleroi, is a son of William McKean, who was born and reared in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. William McKean received his early education in the country schools of his native land, and was there married to Mary, daughter of William Brown, whose family had been natives of Kircudbrightshire for over two hundred years. Mr. and Mrs. McKean passed their lives on the home farm in Scotland, where the following children were born to them, and reared: John, a sea captain, who was lost in a wreck in 1837; Mary, wife of Alexander Magill; William, a farmer of Mansfield, Penn.; James, a merchant tailor in Canada Corners, Mich.; Joseph, living on the old home place in Scotland; Elizabeth, deceased in youth; Andrew, living in Scotland; Robert, and Samuel, the last named residing in Fayette county, Penn. The father was a member of the Established Church of Scotland. Robert McKean was born March 7, 1827, on the home place in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, and in boyhood attended the schools of his native parish, assisting also in the duties of the farm. On January 1, 1849, he married Janet Caird, who was born at New Abbey, Scotland, a daughter of James Caird, a native and merchant of the same place, and a member of the Established Church. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Caird were born as follows: Janet, wife of Robert McKean; John; Barbara, wife of Andrew Irving; Agnes, married to a Mr. Thompson; James; William; Mary, and two whose names are unknown. Mr. and Mrs. McKean resided on a farm near New Abbey for about one year after their marriage, then set sail for America. After a voyage of thirty days they landed in New York, in July, 1850; thence proceeded to Newburgh, where they spent a few months, going from there by rail to Johnstown, finally arriving in Allegheny City. In 1850 he worked for four months for seventy-five cents a day, and then moved to a place about six miles out, on the Steubenville pike, on Chartiers creek, where he followed gardening about six years. He then passed seven years at Mansfield, farming and gardening on a place near that town. In 1865 he purchased and moved on 220 acres at Lock No. 4 (now Charleroi), Washington Co., Penn., having paid for this land with the proceeds of years of hard labor. Politically he is actively identified with the interests of the Republican party, and in religion he and his family are members of the U. P. Church. He gives liberally of his means to all worthy enterprises. His children have been as follows: James, postmaster at Pittsburgh; William, who died in youth; John C. (postmaster), William, Andrew, Agnes, Robert and Mary (wife of C. F. Thompson). Miss Agnes McKean was the first postmistress at Charleroi and also the first telegraph operator, receiving and sending the first message received or sent from Charleroi. The mother of these children died in April, 1890.

Text taken from page 1070 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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