John Munhall was almost 12 when he was orphaned. His parents were born in County Laois, Ireland, where they met, married and left for the United States, well before the potato famine. John was their first child, born Nov., 1833 in Schuylkill County, Pa. He was followed by two brothers, Michael and William, and two sisters, Mary and Catherine.

On October 1st, 1845, both Patrick and Catherine were drowned in a Port Perry ferry accident, leaving the five Munhall orphans to be split up among family, friends and the orphanage. John found work in the coal mines and began to save his money. By the age of 17, he had put away $100, enough to begin a mercantile business at Elizabeth, on the east bank of the Monongahela. The Panic of 1857 took it all. Undismayed, the next year, with his brothers, William and Michael, he built the steamship J.S.Cosgrove ( William cutting and hauling the timber out of the forest), using capital loaned him by a friend. In spite of several reverses, he still had the steamboat ready by that Fall, riding the very river that had taken his parents. By never taking advantage of persons in distress, he soon had the public’s confidence and enough work to pay off his mercantile debts with interest. The brothers built more steamboats, the Brilliant, the Grey Eagle, and the Albion, had great success in the oil carrying trade, produced oil in Oil Creek and Butler County, and moved on to coal mining. John then leased the mining tract to Andrew Carnegie as a location for his steel mill. In addition, the brothers founded the Duquesne National Bank. (John always encouraged and assisted his employees to save part of their earnings to buy homes for themselves and their families.) Along with Charles Schwab, he was one of the founders of US Steel. When he died in 1904, the Pittsburg Press, "thought that the fortune of Mr. Munhall will amount to several millions."

John was in his early twenties when he married the young Henrietta Cunningham. In 1870 they had 9 children: William A,15, George H,13, Harry,10 Albert,8, Charles,5, Maggie,4,Otis,3, and Esther,1.Gilbert who was 7/12 in 1860 was not listed. Henrietta died in 1875. He married Margaret E McKelvy in 1879. The 1880 census lists only Albert, Otis and Esther at home with John and Maggie. Together they produced five children: Luella R, Eliza R, Eva S, John R and Buelah.

John Munhall died in June 9, 1904 following an unsuccessful foot operation for gangrene in Atlantic City. He is buried in his family plot in the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. His will requests that there are to be 2 stones in the NE corner for the Cunninghams, 2 stones in the SW corner for his children, his own stone and 2 others, one on each side. The plot is to be decorated on Easter Sunday, Decoration day (Memorial day), the 4th of July and the 16th of November .

US Census 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900,1910

Pittsburg Press, Friday, June 10, 1904

NY Times, June 10, 1904

Genealogical and biographical history of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, ed. Thomas Cushing

Engineering and Mining Journal 1904

Railway Age, Volume 37

Will and Testament: John Munhall. Pennsylvania, Will & Probate Records
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