Goodspeed

The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
Biographical Sketches, Shelby County TN
Transcribed by Helen Rowland

K Surnames

Patrick KALLAHER, city wharf-master of Memphis, is a native of the county of Clare, Ireland, where he was born March 15, 1847. In 1850 he was brought by his parents to America, and was reared to manhood in Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn., and given a good English education. In 1868 he came to Memphis, and was given the position of charge of the cotton sheds of the city, continuing until 1876, when he was elected city wharf-master, and has filled this position continuously and still holds the same to the satisfaction of all, and to his own credit. He is also engaged quite extensively in real estate dealings in this city, and has made his business highly successful, owning at the present time considerable valuable property, and being a stockholder in various incorporated companies in the city, and a director in the People�s Insurance Company, and other corporations in the city. When he first took charge of the wharf there were only 300 feet paved; now there is nearly half a mile paved and the wharfage has been reduced from 5 cents to 2 � cents per ton. Mr. Kallaher is a member of the Catholic Church, and is an unswerving Democrat in politics. In 1875 he married Miss Margaret Fleming, who died in 1875 (October), leaving no issue. Mr. Kallaher is regarded by his fellow citizens as one of the most successful young men of the city of Memphis, from a financial standpoint.

Elias KECK, proprietor of a livery stable at 403 Second Street, Memphis, that he established in 1855, was a native of Virginia and was raised in Shelby Count, Ind., where his father moved when he was a small boy. He was educated in the common schools of that county and then engaged in farming until 1851, when he moved to Memphis, and four years later established his present business. Mr. Keck started without means, but has, by judicious management, accumulated a vast amount of city real estate, besides a valuable farm six miles from the city, on Big Creek Plank Road, in the Sixth District. This farm is one of the most valuable and best improved farms in this section of the State. In 1864 Mr. Keck married Miss Mattie Felts, a native of Memphis. Five children were born to them, four living. The death of one was caused from the bite of a dog. Mrs. Keck died January 1, 1876, a consistent member of the Second Presbyterian Church, of Memphis. Mr. Keck was married the second time, in 1882, to Miss Jennie Thweatt, daughter of J. O. Thweatt, a prominent farmer of Shelby County. Mrs. Keck was born near Memphis, but lived near Cuba, in Shelby County, where they were married. One child has been born to this union. Mrs. Keck is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Keck belongs to the K. of H. In politics he is a Democrat. He is an honest, upright business man, well known in Memphis.

Edward A. KEELING, secretary of the Merchants Exchange, is a native of this city and was born March 16, 1849, being the son of Edward A., Sr., and Martha (Armstrong) Keeling, natives, respectively, of Giles County, Tenn., and Pittsburgh, Penn. The father, who was one of the prominent business men of Memphis and New Orleans in ante bellum days, died here in 1850. Our subject grew to years of maturity in this city and was here educated and started in life for himself. In 1863 he accepted a position in the office of a steamboat agency in this city, and later accepted a clerkship on one of the Mississippi River boats, continuing until 1867 when he entered the employ of the Memphis & Ohio (now the Louisville & Nashville) Railway as office clerk in this city, and in 1873 was made their agent at Mason, Tenn., and in 1874 was put in charge of the office at Brownsville, Tenn. In January, 1878, he resigned this position and engaged in the general milling business at that place. In the fall of 1881 he returned to Memphis and engaged in a brokerage business, and in January, 1883, upon the organization of the Merchants Exchange, was elected its secretary, and has filled this position in a highly creditable manner until the present time. He is a Democrat; is a prominent Mason, being Worshipful Master of South Memphis Lodge, the pioneer lodge of the city, and Generalissimo of St. Elmo Commandery, K.T. He is also a member of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church. October 15, 1874, he was joined in marriage to Miss Mary Nabers, daughter of Hon. B. D. Nabers, of Mississippi, and by her has four living children, one son.

KELLY, Roper & Reilly, wholesale grocers and cotton factors, is a leading business house of Memphis and is composed of M. J. Kelly, John Roper and James Reilly. The business was originally established in 1866 by James and John Roper, but in 1882 became Kelly & Roper, and December 1, 1885, the present firm was established. They are now doing a very large business over the State of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Northern Alabama, keep several commercial travelers on the road and have a large number of employees to carry on the business in this city. Hon. Morgan J. Kelly is a native of Clare County, Ireland, where he was born in December, 1849. He came to the United States in January, 1863, and engaged as clerk in the wholesale dry goods trade in Cincinnati, Ohio, until 1872, when he came to Memphis and in 1877 engaged in the wholesale and retail grocery business which he conducted successfully until 1882, when he entered his present business with Mr. Roper. He is a Democrat and as such represented his county in the State Legislature in 1882-83. He is a Catholic, a member of the K. of H., and is unmarried.

A. J. KNAPP, general passenger and freight agent of the Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad, is a son of A. G. and Elizabeth (Martin) Knapp. The father was born in Vermont and reared in New York. When young he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he married Miss Martin, a native of Ireland, who came to this country in 1835. They moved to Memphis in 1846, where they passed the residue of their days. In their family were eight children, four of whom are now living�two sons and two daughters. The other son is receiving clerk of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The father began as a molder in an iron foundry, and from that arose by his own efforts to the ownership of large interests in the foundry business. He was a Whig in politics and his wife a member of the Presbyterian Church. He died in 1860 and she in 1863. The Knapp family are of German descent. Our subject, the oldest child of the family, was born August 3, 1845, in Cincinnati, Ohio, but was reared and educated in Memphis. At the age of thirteen he began to assist in his father�s foundry, where he continued some seven years. In 1865 he began as a warehouseman for the Memphis & Ohio (now Memphis division of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad). From that he steadily arose to clerk, local agent, chief clerk of the passenger and freight department, and general freight and passenger agent in 1876. In 1863 he married Julia C. Rogers, of Germantown, Tenn., by whom he has three children: Mamie R., Edmonds S., and Burke R. In 1883 his first wife died and the following year he married Lucy C. Bierce, a native of Cleveland, Ohio. Politically Mr. Knapp is a Democrat.