William M. Chess and Hannah D. Palm

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Husband William M. Chess ¹

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           Born: 24 Sep 1862 - Sandy Creek Twp, Mercer Co, PA 1
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         Father: Samuel Chess (1841-      ) 2
         Mother: Melinda McCracken (1844-1902) 3

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       Marriage: 26 Jun 1884 4

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Wife Hannah D. Palm ⁴

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           Born: 14 Apr 1863 - Salem Twp, Mercer Co, PA 4
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         Father: William Palm (1827-1895/1897) 5
         Mother: Eliza Jane Osborn (1830-1906) 4

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Children

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1 M Ira W. Chess ⁶

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         Spouse: Bessie Walker (      -      ) 6

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2 M Emory A. Chess ⁶

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         Spouse: Mabel Freeland (      -      ) 6

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3 M Ellis M. Chess ⁶

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4 F Melinda L. Chess ⁶

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General Notes: Husband - William M. Chess

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He had the advantages of the public schools only to the time when he was about thirteen years of age, from which time he was of much service in assisting his father on his farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He then moved on a farm of fifty acres, which his father gave him, in Salem Township. In 1896 he added more land by purchase, and eventually had one hundred acres, constituting the “Grand View Stock Farm.” In connection with his extensive farming operations he made a specialty of breeding registered Percheron horses; and also handled, on an average, three hundred head of cattle and sheep each year. In 1906 he shipped an average of two carloads of sheep each week. He had the satisfaction of being awarded the highest prize at the Buffalo markets for being the heaviest shipper to that point from Mercer County. His farm had a barn, sixty by sixty-five feet, for stock purposes exclusively; also adjoining this was a slaughter house, twenty-four by thirty feet, for slaughtering beef, which product he shipped in connection with his live stock. Near to his farm and barnyards flow the celebrated Bishop Roberts Springs, the waters of which are piped to “Grand View Farm” for stock purposes.
Not alone in stock and general farming did Mr. Chess excel, but also as a fruit grower and horticulturist. His peach orchard contained seven hundred bearing trees, the fruit of which never brought him less than two dollars a bushel. A chestnut grove of more than eighty trees produced a fine variety of nuts in great quantities.
Politically, Mr. Chess, like his father before him, was a well-grounded and uncompromising Republican. He was nominated in 1908 for the office of sheriff of Mercer County by a majority of 1,284 on the Republican ticket and was elected by the flattering majority of 2,905. He served as supervisor and judge of elections. In his church relations he was connected with the Baptist church. Fraternally he was a member of both the Knights of Pythias and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. [HMC 1909, 664]

1 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 663.

2 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 663, 982, 984, 1108.

3 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 663, 982, 1109.

4 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 664.

5 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 664, 671.

6 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 665.