MONTGOMERY COUNTY OHIO BIO: CHAMBERS, Robert Young (published 1882)
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
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frog158@juno.com
July 22, 1999
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From the 
The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of
The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html


"The History of Montgomery County, Ohio" by W.H. Beers & Co.  1882


Robert Young Chambers, deceased, was born in Parish Kyle, Queens County, Ireland,
May 8, 1808.  At the age of twenty-two years he left home via Dublin for 
Liverpool, from which point he sailed for America on May 14, 1830, in th ship 
William and John, of West Florida.  He landed in New York July 7, 1830, and 
started at once for the West, stopping first at Braddock's Field, Penn., where
he remained for a short time, but was induced to go on to Cincinnati, where he
arrived December 2, 1830.  He did not stop at Cincinnati, but pushed on by 
stage to Dayton, where he arrived on the 9th of December, 1830.  He first
obtained employment as foreman in the pork packing establishment of _____ Davie.
In this capacity he continued until he took command of the canal-boat Messenger
for the same firm, which then occupied the south-west corner of the canal basin.
He remained in their employ until their failure, when he obtained a similar 
position of one Ritchie.  About this time, June 8, 1836, he was married in St. 
Peter's Church, Cincinnati,to Miss Eliza Mullin, of Cincinnati, formerly of 
County Antrim, Ireland.  In 1838, he removed with his family to Dayton, where
he accepted a position with the late Alexander Simms in the grocery firm of 
Simms & Sayrs, in which he soon obtained an interest, and continued the 
business under the firm name of Chambers, Simms & Sayres.  He afterward, by a
succession of changes, became, in 1845, the senior member of the firm of 
Chambers & Harris, with Mr. John Harris.  They purchased at the same time the 
competition business of Esterbrook & Phelps, who had purchased the established
business of Reach, Emdie & Co.  Chambers & Harris then controlled two of the 
largest commisiion houses in Dayton for eleven years, at the expiration of which
time they dissolved their partnership relations, and Mr. Chambers built the 
bulding known to old residents as the "factory", and established "Chambers' 
Line", and independent line of canal packets running from Cincinnati to Toledo.
About this time, he suffered a loss by fire, which consumed his building, but he
built again on the old site what is known as Chambers' Warehouse.  His business 
began to assume large proportions, and his boats became such a source of anxiety 
to the Sandusky Railroad Company (the first road here), that they made repeated
proposals to buy them, but their offers were refused, and he continued in his
ever-increasing busineess until his retirement in 1873, after nearly half a 
century spent in the most active business.  He left his business to his son, 
John M., and Mr. M.W. Chambers, and paid a visit to the haunts of childhood in 
his native land, only to find his friends and relatives gone.  He died May, 1876,
aged just sixty-six years, leaving a host of mourning friends behind.  His life,
spent in honest activity, was not sullied by a single stain.  He was a 
consistent communicant of the Catholic Church, but his charities extended to all
denominations.  At his death, his family of nine children had dwindled to 
five-one son, who died in 1879, and four daughters, who still occupy th old 
homestead on East Second street.


Submitted by Tina Hursh <frog158@juno.com>