Milton Cheney

As printed in 1908

COLONEL MILTON CHENEY,* one of South Charleston's highly respected and influential citizens, who is living in retirement after years of unceasing activity in agricultural work, is a native of Madison Township, Clark County, Ohio. He was born in 1850 on the old home place three miles south of South Charleston, is a son of Jonathan and Matilda (Harpole) Cheney, and a grandson of William Cheney.

William Cheney was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and followed farming for a number of years. After his marriage to Rebecca Orr, also a native of Virginia, he settled in Mechanicsburg, Champaign County, Ohio, and engaged in farming the remainder of his life. Nine children were born to the grandparents of our subject, all of whom are now deceased. Jonathan Cheney, the father, was born near Mechanicsburg and spent his early boyhood days on his father's farm. At the age of sixteen he went west and engaged in the cattle business, and drove cattle from Illinois to Harrisburg for a period of five years, after which he came to Clark County, and purchased the present farm of his son, Milton, consisting of three hundred and twenty-live acres, three hundred acres of which are located in Madison Township, Clark Countv. and the remaining twenty-five acres in Madison Coimty, nnst across the comity line. Here he followed agriculture until his death, which occurred March 18, 1865. Jonathan married Matilda Harpole of Greene County and to them were born three children, of whom two are living, Milton, the subject of this notice; and Rebecca (Young) of Los Angeles, California.

Milton Cheney was reared on big father's farm and attended the district schools of the township for a short time. He was but eleven years old at the outbreak of the Civil War, and is practically self educated, as his services were early required on the farm. Mr. Cheney has been engaged in agricultural pursuits on the home farm since 1867. He married Ada Sprague, a daughter of L. B. Sprague of Harmony Township, and to them have been born five children: Molly (Mrs. Hicks); Harriet; Pearl (Mrs. Sprague) of Clark County; Howard, who married Anna Hostetter of Dayton; and Scott.

Col. Cheney has always been an ardent supporter of the Republican party. He has served twelve years as township trustee, was for six years county commissioner, thirty-two years a member of the Madison Township School Board and also served as a memlier of the Agriculture Board. Col. Cheney is also prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of the Masonic order and the Odd Fellows, including the Mad River Encampment, at Springfield, of which he is Past Grand and Past Chief Pater.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.