CHARLES BLANCHARD SEELY, interested in the real estate of Pittsburg through the estate of his father and otherwise, is a son of Charles B. and Sarah Stauffer (Mcllvain) Seely. I) Charles Seely, the great-grandfather, was born in New York city, sometime in the latter half of the eighteenth century. But little is known of his personal history, further than that he married and had a son named Charles Blanchard Seely, probably named for Judge Blanchard, with whom he afterward studied law. (II) Charles Blanchard Seely became an eminent lawyer in Cambria county, Pennsylvania, from which place he removed from New York city, the place of his birth. Besides his legal practice he was an extensive lumberman and owned several thousand acres of timber land in the vicinity of Ebensburg. One of the saw mills built by him is still standing in that borough. For a time he was treasurer of the county of Cambria, where he was one of the influential citizens. His death was caused by an accident, he being thrown from his horse, sustaining serious injuries which finally caused his death about 1839. He married and among his children were: Margaret, Samuel and Charles Blanchard, the second. (III) Charles Blanchard Seely, son of Charles Blanchard Seely (II), was born in 1824, at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and remained there until his father’s death, about fifteen years later, when he went to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where he remained four years in the employ of a Mr. Patterson.

In 1843 he moved to Pittsburg, where he found work with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He continued in this company’s employ for fifteen years, filling various positions of trust. Among the places he filled during this period was that of state agent for the corporation. He was always addressed and spoken of as “Captain Seely.” Although he joined a state military company during the Civil war, he saw no active service. After he left the Pennsylvania Railroad Company he engaged in the real estate business, and at that date there were but three firms exclusively engaged in that line in Pittsburg, one of which was his. He was highly successful in his realty operations, which he conducted many years. The last decade of his life, however, was spent in retirement from the cares of active business, and he died in the year 1900. He was among, if not the first, of the pioneer real estate dealers to develop what is known as the “East End” of the city of Pittsburg, where he laid out many of the present-day important residence streets, giving them the names which they still bear. In selecting such street names he was influenced by his great admiration for some of the Civil war heroes, as, for example, he named them Sheridan, Grant, Jackson, etc. He was at one time a member of the city council and also an assessor. Through the influence of his wife, whose uncle was the first pastor of the East Liberty Presbyterian church, he became much interested in church matters.

He was twice married, first to Anna B. Negley, by whom two sons were born — Frank H. and Daniel Negley Seely. For his second wife he married Sarah Mcllwain, daughter of George and Sarah (Stauffer) Mcllvvain. By this union were born Sarah M. and Charles Blanchard, the last named being the subject. (IV) Charles Blanchard Seely, subject, was educated in the common schools of Pittsburg and occupies his time in looking after the interests of his father’s large estate.

He married Jean Shaw, daughter of John E. and Jean ( Miller) Shaw, of Pittsburg, by which union one son is born — Charles Blanchard, born December 19, 1904, he being the fourth in direct line of descent having this name.

“A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People,” by John Newton Boucher, Lewis Publishing.

[Charles Blanchard is a son of Charles Blanchard Seely SGS# 3430 -Charles Blanchard (md. Jean Shaw); Charles Blanchard (# 3430); Charles Blanchard; Samuel Charles; Christopher; Samuel; Jonas; Obadiah]