“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.