Background
William Kelly was born on 21 August 1811 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the son of a prosperous landowner.
William Kelly was born on 21 August 1811 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the son of a prosperous landowner.
After William Kelly was educated in the common schools of the city, he entered the drygoods trade. Kelly studied metallurgy at the Western University of Pennsylvania.
By the age of 35 William Kelly was senior partner in the firm of McShane & Kelly.
At this time iron was sold in three forms, each distinguished by the amount of carbon present in the iron. Cast iron was highest in carbon content. Some cast iron was converted in forges to wrought iron, which contained no carbon. Intermediate was steel, which was the strongest form.
Beginning in 1847, Kelly made a series of experiments in an attempt to save on fuel costs in his furnace. In 1851 he developed a process for the production of steel known as "Kelly's air-boiling process. "
In 1856 he learned that Henry Bessemer, working in England, had patented a similar process and that a patent was being applied for in the United States. In 1857 he was granted a patent for his process. Though Kelly conducted one further experiment, his process was never successfully applied. Kelly made a settlement with Bessemer and retired, allowing Bessemer to proceed without further dispute
In 1861 he merged with the firm that represented the Bessemer interests.
The Kelly interests received three-tenths of the stock of the new firm, and the Bessemer people took seven-tenths.
While on a business trip to Nashville Kelly met and fell in love with Mildred Gracy.
She was from the town of Eddyville, Ky. , which he often visited, eventually purchasing some nearby iron lands and a furnace.