Changes

|nationality=[[United States|American]]

|nationality=[[United States|American]]

|office= [[Mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]]

|office= [[Mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]]

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democratic Party]]  

|party=[[Democratic Party]]  

|term_start=1896

|term_start=1896

|term_end=1900

|term_end=1900

==Career==

==Career==

At the age of twenty before he could legally vote, McKellar began serving on the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] municipal executive committee in Shreveport, including a stint thereafter as the treasurer of that group. He served on the Shreveport City Council during the 1880s as was named the chairman of the municipal improvement committee. He was in his third council term in 1890. Because Shreveport lacked equipment for streets, he used teams of horses and men from his own [[cotton]] [[plantation]] to begin the task of building dirt streets. As mayor from 1896 to 1900, he used convict labor for the first street paving in Shreveport. He sold to the railroads the dirt graded from the digging sites to finance the first Shreveport city park. He also pushed for construction of the first city storm sewer. He was the Shreveport street commissioner from 1908 to 1910. As the elected streets and parks commissioner from 1922 to 1930 under the former city commission government, he built a park for [[African-Americans]] during the era of the segregated society.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.lahistory.org/site30.php|title=McKellar, Reuben Neil|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association]accessdate=May 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>The Louisiana Historical Association used these sources for its biographical sketch of Reuben McKellar: Lilla McLure and J. Ed Howe, ''History of Shreveport and Shreveport Builders'' (1937) and ''Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana'' (1892).</ref>

At the age of twenty before he could legally vote, McKellar began serving on the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] municipal executive committee in Shreveport, including a stint thereafter as the treasurer of that group. He served on the Shreveport City Council during the 1880s as was named the chairman of the municipal improvement committee. He was in his third council term in 1890. Because Shreveport lacked equipment for streets, he used teams of horses and men from his own [[cotton]] [[plantation]] to begin the task of building dirt streets. As mayor from 1896 to 1900, he used convict labor for the first street paving in Shreveport. He sold to the railroads the dirt graded from the digging sites to finance the first Shreveport city park. He also pushed for construction of the first city storm sewer. He was the Shreveport street commissioner from 1908 to 1910. As the elected streets and parks commissioner from 1922 to 1930 under the former city commission government, he built a park for [[African-Americans]] during the era of the segregated society.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.lahistory.org/site30.php|title=McKellar, Reuben Neil|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>The Louisiana Historical Association used these sources for its biographical sketch of Reuben McKellar: Lilla McLure and J. Ed Howe, ''History of Shreveport and Shreveport Builders'' (1937) and ''Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana'' (1892).</ref>

From 1886 to 1888, McKellar was the president of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. He was a director of the Commercial National Bank of Shreveport. He also held [[stock]] in the Merchants & Farmers' Bank and was a president of the Board of Trade, specific organization unknown. he was affiliated with the  Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic lodge. <ref name=findagrave/>

From 1886 to 1888, McKellar was the president of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. He was a director of the Commercial National Bank of Shreveport. He also held [[stock]] in the Merchants & Farmers' Bank and was a president of the Board of Trade, specific organization unknown. he was affiliated with the  Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Masonic lodge.<ref name=findagrave/>

Upon his death in the spring of 1933, McKellar was interred at Oakland Cemetery in Shreveport. His widow was buried beside him two years later.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=48978057|title=Reuben Neil McKellar|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 16, 2016}}</ref>

Upon his death in the spring of 1933, McKellar was interred at Oakland Cemetery in Shreveport. His widow was buried beside him two years later.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=48978057|title=Reuben Neil McKellar|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 16, 2016}}</ref>