Greene-St. Louis County MO Archives Biographies.....Chandler, W. T. 1849 - 
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Ann Anderson ann.g.anderson@gmail.com May 31, 2006, 2:18 am

Author: Goodspeed Brothers (1893)

    W. T. CHANDLER. It matters little what vocation a man may select as his life
occupation so long as it is an honorable one. If he is an honest, upright man,
courteous in his intercourse with his fellow-men, and possessed of the average
amount of energy and business sagacity, he is bound to make his business a
financial success. Mr. Chandler possesses all the above-mentioned requirements,
and is to-day a prosperous general merchant of Ash Grove. He was born in
Fitchburg, Mass., September 19, 1849, a son of J. L. and Abbie (Kimball)
Chandler, the paternal ancestors having come from England to this country during
its early history, and in 1637 became residents of Connecticut and still later
of Massachusetts, where they were known for many years. Members of this family
were soldiers in the Revolution, and John Chandler, the great-grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, was a captain in the Continental army. The Chandlers
have been prominent in the affairs of their adopted country from the very first,
and the majority of them were men of influence and affluence. The
great-great-grandfather held the rank of cornet in one of the French and Indian
wars, in the English service, and the grandfather, Samuel Chandler, was a
soldier in the War of 1812, in which he served as captain, and later was
major-general of Massachusetts State Militia and captain of the Ancient and
Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. J. L. Chandler was born in Massachusetts
in 1820, and in that State continued to reside until he reached manhood. In 1853
he emigrated to St. Louis, Mo., where he followed mercantile pursuits until the
opening of the late lamentable civil war, when he enlisted in the Seventh
Missouri Cavalry, was elected adjutant, and was later promoted to
lieutenant-colonel, a position which he ably filled until 1865, at the
termination of the war. Some of the most important of the battles in which he
participated were Prairie Grove and Little Bock. He was wounded during his
service, but not seriously. After the war he took up his residence in Memphis,
Tenn., where he engaged in business as a wholesale grocer and cotton factor,
later becoming a traveling salesman, the greater part of his business being
transacted in Texas and a few other Southern States. He was an intelligent and
wide-awake man of affairs, and his death, which occurred in February, 1880, was
much regretted. His wife died in May of the same year. To them three children
were born, of whom the immediate subject of this sketch was the eldest. Ella is
the wife of W. J. Hawkins, of Greene County. Bessie married a Mr. Janes, and
died in 1884 in Ash Grove. Mr. Chandler was a Republican in his political views.
Socially, he belonged to the A. F. & A. M. and the I. O. O. F., and at one time
was collector of revenue of Memphis, Tenn. The early life of W. T. Chandler was
spent in Missouri, and his education was received in the excellent public
schools of St. Louis and in the _____ University of that city. He started on his
business career in 1873, in Ash Grove, and since that time he has carried on a
successful general mercantile business, and has gained the esteem and respect of
the community at large and of the citizens of Ash Grove in particular. He does
an annual business of §20,000, the value of his stock amounting to about
$15,000. In addition to himself, he finds constant employment for three or four
clerks, who have a thorough knowledge of their business and are well posted,
accommodating and agreeable. The establishment has a frontage of 25 feet and a
depth of 94 feet. Mr. Chandler is a Republican in politics, and has always taken
a deep and abiding interest in the political issues of the day, and especially
those of his section, and has held a number of important offices in the town. He
is a member of the A. O. U. W., but aside from this does not belong to any
secret organization. He is the owner of considerable real estate, principally
city property, and has a pleasant and comfortable residence in the eastern part
of Ash Grove. Mr. Chandler was married in June, 1882, to Miss Roxie Comegys,
daughter of William Comegys, the postmaster at Ash Grove. She was born in
Indiana and has borne her husband four children: Triece K., Almira, Courtney and
John L. The children are bright and intelligent, and the eldest is now attending
school.

Additional Comments:
Bibliographic Citation:
PICTORIAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD OF Greene County MISSOURI

TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHIES OF PROMINENT MEN OF OTHER PORTIONS OE THE STATE, BOTH
LIVING AND DEAD.

Chicago
Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers
1893


JOHN MORRIS COMPANY,
PRINTERS. AND BINDERS.


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