Christopher Eby Chenoweth

As printed in 1914

CHRISTOPHER EBY CHENOWETH.

Longfellow, one of America's wisest men, said, '"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well and doing well whatever you do, without any thought of fame." Illustrative of this sentiment has been the life of Christopher Eby Chenoweth, formerly a grain dealer, but nev an enterprising merchant of Spartanburg, Randolph count It is evident that he has done well whatever he has turned his attention to and therefore success has attended his efforts all through his career.

Mr. Chenoweth was born in Greensfork township, this county, December 23, 1854. He is a son of William Coltunbus Chenoweth and Haimah (Bowen) Chenoweth. The father was born in Carroll county, IMar'land, April II, 1829, and was a son of William and Ketura (Murray) Chenoweth. The birth of 'william Chenoweth occurred in October, 1802, also in Carroll county. Maryland. There he grew up and engaged in farming until the fall of 1838 when he removed to Darke county, Ohio, and in 1840 came on to Randolph county, Indiana, and located in Greensfork township, where he bought land. He had previously been in the county and had entered about three hundred and fifteen acres of land. Here he spent the remainder of his life engaged in general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. Pplitically he was first a Whig then a Iepublican. His death occurred in the autumn of 1876. His wife was born in 1806, in Carroll county, Maryland, where she grew to womanhood and there married. Her death occurred in 1893 the advanced age of eighty-seven years.

William C. Chenoweth, father of our subject, grew up on the farm and he received such educational advantages as the schools of those early days offered. He has devoted his life to farming and stock raising, but retired from active work in 1895. Politically he is a Republican, fraternally a Mason, and religiously a member of the Christian church. He and Hannah Bowen were married in December, 1849. She was a daughter of Squire Bowen and her death occurred in January, 1855. In 1856 Mr. Chenoweth married Mary Jane Safer, whose death occurred in September, 1903. To his second union the following children were born: Julia is the wife of J. I. Thomas, of Lynn; Emma is the wife of Fred Horn, of Washington township; Sadie is the wife of Elmer Hodgins, of Wayne county; Laura is the wife of Charles Skinner, of Modoc, Indiana; Bertha is the wife of Prof. Charles Mann, of Lynn.

To the first marriage of William C. Chenoweth were born besides the immediate subject of this sketch, William Henry and James B., both of whom live in Lynn, this county, and Hannah, whose death occurred January 6, 1855.

Christopher E. Chenoweth was but two weeks old when his mother died and his grandparents took him to raise. He received a common school education and spent two summers in the Valparaiso Normal School. He then took charge of the books and clerked for John Hill, a merchant of Spartanburg, with whom he remained eight years, giving his employer eminent satisfaction, in the meantime learning the ins and outs of the mercantile business which stood him well in hand later in life. After leaving the store of Mr. Hill, our subject, in company with N. Anderson, built an elevator at Crete and was in the grain business there four years, meeting with a large measure of success. He gave up this line of endeavor on account of failing health and worked at carpentering for two years, his health being restored the meantime. In 1893 he opened a general store in Spartanburg, which he has continued to conduct to the present time with ever increasing success, enjoying a large trade with the surrounding country, and always carrying a large and carefully selected stock of goods, and his honest and courteous dealings with his hundreds of customers has won their confidence and good will.

Politically Mr. Chenoweth is a Republican and religiously is a Methodist. In 1910 he was appointed county commissioner to fill out a term of office vacated by Charles C. Bowen, and in the autumn of that year he was elected to this office, the duties of which he discharged to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Mr. Chenoweth was married in September, 1883, to Margaret Buckley, who was born in Preble county, Ohio, December 25, 1861. She is a daughter of Cornelius and Sarah Buckley. Five children have been bom to our subject and wife, namely: Sylvia died when seven and one-half years old: Edwin, born August 5, 1885, is in the store with his father; Leo, bom Juh" 28. 1889, is also in his father's store; Glen, born August 8, 1894, is teaching school in Greensfork township, this county; Gail, born September 2, 1897. is attending school at this writing.

No state in the Union can boast of a more heroic band of pioneers than Indiana. In their courage, intelligence, capacity and loyalty to the right they had no superior. Most of them came from that portion of the original Colonial states lying on a parallel with her, and in their daring and heroism they were equal to the Missouri and California argonauts. Their privations, hardships and earnest labors have resulted in establishing one of the foremost commonwealth in America, and one which still has great possibilities before it. Members of this worthy band were the Chenoweths, William L. Chenoweth, agriculturist of Wayne township, Randolph county, being one of the best known of the present generation.

Mr. Chenoweth was born in Greensfork tow'ship, Randolph county. April 26, 1867. He is a son of John T. Chenoweth, who was born in 1826 in;Mary"land, where he spent his boyhood and was educated, and from which state he removed to Randolph county, Indiana, with his parents in 1840, and here he spent the rest of his life engaged in farming. He was three times married, first, to Rhoda Parker, in 1847, they had one son, Samuel J., of lartinsville, Indiana; second, to Hester Ramsey, in 1852, and they had one daughter, Clara, now deceased; and third, to Emily S. Lawrence, in 1859. He was the father of eleven children. He was a Republican and a Methodist. He was one of the most successful men of affairs in his locality and w'as highly respected by all who knew him. He was assessor of both Greensfork and Waye townships, and also send three years as commissioner of Randolph county. Three of his brothers were soldiers in the Union army, Benjamin F., who served in the Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, had a finger shot off, and was discharged June 22, 1863; George W., who was a member of the Fifty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner, but released on parole at Richmond, Kentucky, August 20, 1862; he was wounded at Thompson's Hill, near Grand Gulf, Mississippi, May 1, 1863, and died May 14, 1863, of his wounds; Joshua B. joined the Eighty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a recruit.

The Chenoweth family held a large and interesting reunion August 26, 1882, at the old homestead, near Arba, Randolph county, Indiana. The family are numerous and widespread, and wherever they have dispersed they are known as enterprising, honest and capable people. The mother of the subject of this sketch was Emily S. Lawrence before her marriage. She was born near Columbus, Ohio, in 1832, and she is still living, making her home with her daughter in Winchester, being now eighty-two years old. Three of her sons and one daughter are living, namely: William L., of this sketch; John F., of Nebraska; Edwin G., of Blue Island, Illinois; Mrs. Nora Rowe, of Winchester. William Chenoweth, our subject's paternal grandfather, was born in Maryland, and he died in 1876, at the age of seventy-four years, in Randolph county, Indiana, where he had lived and farmer since 1840. He entered land from the government here, which he improved and established the future home of the family. Here he endured the usual privations and hardships of those who first braved the frontier, was accustomed to the toils and labors of the backwoods. His wife was Keturah Murray, and she died on the old homestead here in June, 1893. They were buried in Arba cemetery. They were worthy Christian people. Abram I. Chenoweth, the first known of this family, emigrated from England to America in 1720.

William L. Chenoweth grew to manhood on the home farm and received his education in the common schools, and he began life for himself when only seventeen years of age, and has followed general farming ever since. He first rented his father's farm, and in 1895 purchased the farm of one hundred and thirty-four acres, which he now owns and which he has kept in splendid shape and on which he is making a good living. Politically, he is a Republican, and he belongs, to the Society of Friends. He was road supervisor one term.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

To Mr. and Mrs. William L. Chenoweth these children have been bom: Ethelyn M., born January 7, 1892, was educated in the Winchester high school and two years in DePauw University, and is now teaching in Wayne township; Carl W., born Octobet 4, 1894, was educated in the Winchester high school and attended Purdue University at Lafayette two years; he is also teaching in Wayne township; Esther M., bom February 2, 1897, is attending school in her home community.

As printed in Past and present of Randolph County, Indiana : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1914). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.