McKeesport is a city in

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, state's second-most populous county, after Philadelp ...

, United States. A suburb of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, it is situated at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census.

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 (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

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 bee ...

, a Seneca 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 ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, built a log cabin at this location. After taking over his father's local river

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

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 Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'', 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.

19th century

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

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

of the large deposits of

bituminous coal Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...

in the region began. The first schoolhouse was built in 1832, with James E. Huey as its schoolmaster. McKeesport was incorporated as a borough in 1842, and the city's first steel mill was established in 1851. The National Tube Works opened in 1872, and in the years directly following, according to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, 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.

20th century

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 United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...

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

Richard M. Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

and

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

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

were deployed. The McKeesport Daily News reported the next day that "only shells and piles of rubble" remained "where city landmarks once stood." National Tube closed in 1987, 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

of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The city is on the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau ( ) is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divided into the unglacia ...

, within the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

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 cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

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 (Pennsylvania), borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The population was 19,589 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is named after Thomas Miff ...

, 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.

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 (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 24,040 people, 9,655 households, and 5,976 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,124 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 24.46%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.59% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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.

Landmarks

Carnegie Library McKeesport interior 2018c

* Renziehausen Park Rose Garden and Arboretum * McKeesport Regional History & Heritage Center * 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 h ...

* St Mary's German Church * First Methodist Episcopal Church of McKeesport * Carnegie Free Library * Jerome Street Bridge * McKeesport National Bank * Dead Man's Hollow

Law, government and politics

Government

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

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

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 Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

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 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. 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, borough 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.

Law enforcement

The McKeesport Police Department was one of the largest municipal law enforcement agencies in the region. Unfortunately, it now currently only employs 30 sworn officers, and is one of the few departments in

Allegheny County Allegheny County ( ) is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, after Philadelphia County. Its county seat and most populous city is Pit ...

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 on County property, including the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Allegheny County Ai ...

, 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 nu ...

, 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 th ...

, McKeesport Area School District, and

Penn State Greater Allegheny Penn State Greater Allegheny (PSUGA) is a commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University that sits on the border of McKeesport and White Oak in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U. ...

Police & Public Safety.

Infrastructure

Transportation

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 or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...

, providing a direct link to Pittsburgh. McKeesport is the beginning of the

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

Pittsburgh Subdivision The Pittsburgh Subdivision is an American railroad line that is owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Notable features The line runs from McKeesport (PLY 15.1) northwest through Pittsburgh to West Pitts ...

, where it meets the Mon Subdivision. It is also served by the Transtar Union Railroad, which absorbed the McKeesport Connecting Railroad in 2013.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

also provided intercity rail service via the '' Capitol Limited'' between Chicago and Washington, D.C., from 1982 to 1990. The city was formerly served by the PATrain commuter service, known as the "McKeesporter", until 1989. The city is served by the

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is the public agency responsible for most public transportation services in the Greater Pittsburgh region in Pennsylvania. It is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest in ...

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.

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. Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Care Units recently closed, but the hospital continues to offer ongoing rehabilitation and educational programs to patients with cardiac, neurologic, and orthopaedic diagnoses. A newer, emergency room opened in December 1999.

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, Pennsylvania, 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 b ...

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

Actors and broadcasters

* Grover Dale, actor, dancer, choreographer, director *

Aline MacMahon Aline Laveen MacMahon (May 3, 1899 – October 12, 1991) was an American actress. Her Broadway stage career began under producer Edgar Selwyn in ''The Mirage'' during 1920. She made her screen debut in 1931, and worked extensively in film, the ...

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-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, 1999–2007, 20 ...

, actress, singer * Richard Wilson, screenwriter and director

Business and industry

* Raymond J. Lane, managing partner of GreatPoint Ventures, former partner at

Kleiner Perkins Kleiner Perkins, formerly Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), is an American venture capital firm which specializes in investing in incubation, early stage and growth companies. Since its founding in 1972, the firm has backed entrepreneur ...

, former president and chief operating officer of

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Co-founded in 1977 in Santa Clara, California, by Larry Ellison, who remains executive chairman, Oracle was ...

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

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

Emily E. Tassey Emily Evans Tassey (née Rowland, 1823 –1899) was a 19th century American inventor. Tassey earned patents for five inventions, all related to marine propulsion technology from 1876 to 1880. They include improved apparatus for raising sunken ve ...

, 19th century marine propulsion

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

with five patents

Military

* Donald M. Carpenter, aviator in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

* Franklin J. Phillips,

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

Harry Fisher,

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient

Musicians and artists

* Sheila Butler, visual artist * Byron Janis, pianist * Henrietta Leaver, Miss America 1935 * Duane Michals, photographer *

Sam Sneed Samuel D. Anderson (born February 29, 1968), known professionally as Sam Sneed, is an American record 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 s ...

, music producer and rapper * Jerry Tachoir, jazz

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

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 mari ...

player * Mort Weiss, jazz

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

Winston Cup driver in the 1970s and 1980s

Baseball

* Tim Conroy, former major league pitcher * Brian Holton, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

relief pitcher * Rick Krivda, MLB pitcher and 2000 Olympic gold medalist * Tom Qualters, former MLB pitcher *

Bill Robinson Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (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 black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20 ...

, former MLB outfielder and coach *

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

, former MLB pitcher

Basketball

Swin Cash Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...

, WNBA player, 2000 and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist

Bullfighting

* Bette Ford, first American bullfighter to fight in the

Plaza Mexico A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

Football

Jim Beirne James Patrick Beirne (October 15, 1946 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football at Purdue University, where he was an All-American. He played professionally for the Housto ...

, former AFL/NFL wide receiver,

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

(1968–1973, 1976),

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...

(1974–1975) *

Ron Crosby Ronald Crosby (born March 2, 1955) is an American former professional football linebacker who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fif ...

, NFL and USFL player * Dave Gasser, former Canadian Football League linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos (1967–1972) * Khaleke Hudson, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...

(2020– ) * Branden Jackson, NFL Defensive End,

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

(2016),

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

(2017– )The Raging Bull. Toms River North Mariners. 1990–1992 *

Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is an American former professional 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 o ...

, former Notre Dame and NFL tight end * Maurice Leggett, 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

cornerback * Mike Logan, former

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

safety * Bob Long, former NFL wide receiver,

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

(1964–1967),

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

(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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

(1969),

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

(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 football) The Dallas Texans were an ...

(1962),

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

(1963),

(1964–1968); two TD catches in

Super Bowl II The second AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super Bowl II) was an American football game played on January 14, 1968, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The National Football League (NFL)'s defending champion Green Ba ...

* 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. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

* Greg Paterra, NFL player *

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

, former NFL linebacker,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

(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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

(2004–2005) *

Russell Stuvaints Russell Stuvaints Jr. (born August 28, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Youngstown State Peng ...

, former NFL defensive back,

(2003, 2004–2005, New England Patriots (2004) * Jim Trimble, former NFL and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

head football coach

Politicians and governmental leaders

, leader of the

Seneca tribe The Seneca ( ; ) are a group of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their nation was the farthe ...

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 is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

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

, wife of Frank Buchanan * William Henry Coleman, former member of the United States House of Representatives *

Marc Gergely Marc J. Gergely (born October 17, 1969) is a former 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 C ...

, Pennsylvania state representative * John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence *

Emil Mrkonic Emil Mrkonic (July 26, 1927 – November 23, 2002) was a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the ...

, former Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

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. ...

, member of the United States House of Representatives * Al Benedict, Pennsylvania Auditor General from 1977 to 1985 * Austin Davis, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania

Writers

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

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American 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 series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'' *

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, 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

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Mindhunter'' used downtown McKeesport as 1977

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

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