THE KELLY PLOW WORKS
The name Kelly has been identified with East Texas iron ore development since the Civil War and Reconstruction days. But in order to have a better appreciation of the Kelly family we copy from a paper that was prepared by Hubert M. Harrison, vice president and general manager of East Texas Chamber of Commerce, and a copy was sent to Mrs. McKay, a relative, by Mr. R. M. Kelly. It follows:
“About seven years after the historic Battle of San Jacinto, while Texas was a republic, John A. Stewart, later a brother-in-law of G. A. Kelly, came to Texas from Tennessee and began making small crude plows in a little shop operated by a man named Saunders, near Marshall, Harrison County, Texas.
“Five years later, in 1848, Stewart moved his plow patterns and tools to a popular campsite for wagoners called ‘Four-Mile-Branch,’ four miles west of the then thriving old Jefferson. Here he formed a partnership with Zachariah Lockett (a brother-in-law) and the new firm of Lockett & Stewart continued making the little plows and operated a general repair shop.
“Jefferson, founded in 1836, was head of navigation in Cypress Bayou, a small tributary of Red River and before the advent of railroads was the metropolis of North Texas and trading center of a vast surrounding area.
“George Addison Kelly, of pioneer Scotch-Irish ancestors came to Texas in 1852. He was born in 1832 in Green County, Tennessee, the seventh of twelve children. At the age of 17 he, with part of the family, migrated to Louisiana and located in a homestead grant in Natchitoches Parish. His pioneer spirit urged him toward Texas and three years later young George, 20 years old, landed in Jefferson via steamboat on which he was a mate. Believing this busy frontier held opportunities for an ambitious young man, he located at ‘Four Mile Branch’ and began his career in the little shop by the side of the road. He soon acquired an interest in this primitive industry and later purchased full ownership.
“The first crude cupola for melting iron in the little foundry used Charcoal and the blast was produced by horse driven bellows. The little shop prospered and expanded and a steam engine and improved cupola were soon installed. Its products were the original crude plow, cast iron stoves, cooking utensils and machinery repairs. The camping wagons wanted cow bells for their grazing oxen and cattle and the little shop made cow bells—thousands of them.
“Farmers were needing and demanding more and better plows. George A. Kelly met this urgent demand by designing in 1860 the famous ‘Kelly Blue Plow’, the foundation stone of this near-century-old industry. A tribute at the time of his death in 1909 stated: ‘Here is a pioneer who made a plow—and a plow made Texas.’
“From the erstwhile little shop at ‘Four-Mile-Branch’, renamed Kellyville in honor of its founder, the many camping wagoners, after disposing of their farm and ranch produce in Jefferson, hauled plows and other products throughout the expanding Southwest and the name KELLY became a household word.
“During the Civil War and Reconstruction days iron was very scarce; so this pioneer industrialist built a furnace, and from the abundant East Texas ores smelted high grade pig iron for his own use and sold surplus tonnage, which met with great favor. Charcoal was used for fuel, but this was costly and could not compete with later developed cheaper coke fuels, and after several years of successful operation this furnace was abandoned, having served its useful purpose. This early day iron maker predicted that when the need appeared for iron and steel produced from East Texas ores, an economical fuel process would be developed. Fulfillment of this prediction is near. Large smelters are being constructed at Daingerfield and Houston, Texas, and a gas fired furnace providing sponge iron is near completion in Longview.
“Soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, G. A. Kelly raised a company of soldiers, was commissioned captain and reported for service. His company was accepted but he was detailed to continue producing plows and utensils needed by civilians, also cast iron for cannon balls.
“When railroads began to cross Texas, the wagoners with their long wagon trains gradually disappeared from the rough, muddy roads. Boats ceased to ply the bayou and the important trading center of Jefferson lost its prestige. Then the Kelly foundry and factory were totally destroyed by fire, with no insurance. In 1882 salvage from the wreck was moved to Longview, a new railroad center.
“Beginning anew in Longview, this rebuilt plow factory gradually expanded into an imposing agricultural implement factory—’the lengthened shadow of one man.’ Here is manufactured from raw material a wide variety of plows and implements for all types of farms, including the old ‘Blue Plow,’ which has retained its popularity for almost a century, a continuing tribute to its inventor.
“Operating profits in part were re-invested and the present substantial structure has been built entirely from earnings. Full ownership is still in the Kelly family.
“Among the family relics is the 200-pound bell (part silver) used by the boat which brought the ambitious Kelly to Texas, also one of his old cow bells and an antique plow.
“In recognition of this pioneer industry, the Texas Highway Commission erected a granite marker on the original site of the little plow shop at ‘Four Mile Branch’.
“This pioneer industry, the only full line plow factory in the Southwest, for nine decades has had only two president-managers, the founder, George A. Kelly, and his son, Robert Marvin Kelly, now president. Since the days of the Republic of Texas, nearly 100 years, from the ‘Little shop by the side of the road’ and from its present well equipped factory, The G. A. Kelly Plow Company, through prosperity and adversity has continuously supplied plow tools to 5 generations of farmers in Texas and adjoining states. ‘Truly civilization follows the plow.’”