WI BIO - Dane Co - McCHESNEY, Frederic S.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, p 461

Frederic S. McCHESNEY was born 06 May 1864, on his father's farm, section 19, 
in the township of Vienna, Dane County, Wisconsin. His father, Rudolph 
McCHESNEY, was born in 1824 in Oswego County, New York, where he was reared a 
farmer boy in the backwoods on Salmon River. His father died when he was six 
or seven years of age. His schooling was very limited, and the most of his 
large business transactions have been done by memory, he keeping but a small 
memorandum. He came to WI when he was twenty-three or twenty-four years of 
age, with Mr. Ezra CHEESBRO, for whom he worked for some time, after which he 
went teaming between Mineral Point and Milwaukee. He has been an industrious 
and successful farmer and much respected by all. He died 01 Oct 1891.

When Mr. McCHESNEY came here he was a single man, but when he was thirty-two 
years of age he married Miss Hannah SHARP. She was born in the village of 
Essington, Durham County, England, in 1834, the daughter of Job SHARP, who 
with her two brothers, Robert and Joseph, came to this county. Joseph served 
as a volunteer in the 7th WI Infantry and was wounded in the right arm in the 
battle of the Wilderness. He was veteranized and served through the war, 
having entered as a private but was promoted to Commissary Sergeant. Our 
subject's grandfather also served through the war of 1812. There were seven 
in the family of our subject's father: the eldest, Rudolph D., died at the 
age of five years; John C., a farmer of Brown County, SD, who had the first 
shingle roof on his house for miles in that section, as the father had the 
first shingle roof in this section. He is a great reader, being particularly 
noted in his school days for correct spelling and having made more than one 
teacher confess himself vanquished; William B, died 19 Sep 1881, at the age 
of nineteen years having been an invalid the greater part of his life.

Our subject has not had as thorough a training at school as he would have 
desired, but he graduated from the Northwestern Business College at Madison 
[Dane County, WI], 19 Mar 1886, and is of a very observing mind and possesses 
a good memory, both of which gifts are of more value than an unpractical 
education.

After leaving school he traveled considerably. He is a good wagonmaker but 
has never served an apprenticeship. His first effort to build a wagon was a 
success. His father was a natural mechanic. Our subject has also worked at 
the carpenter's trade, making of it a success. He bought the tools and 
business of the wagonmaker at Waunakee [Dane County, WI] and took possession 
24 Nov 1891, and although five or six men had started there at the wagon 
making business, they had made a failure of it, although they had served an 
apprenticeship at it.

He moved to his farm, section 20, Vienna [Dane County, WI], 06 Sep 1892. He 
[Frederic S. McCHESNEY] married Miss Amelia S. BRESEMAN, a daughter of John 
BRESEMAN, 16 Mar 1892. Mr. McCHESNEY is an Odd Fellow; is untrammeled in 
religion and in politics, but believes in the golden rule as the law of life. 


Joseph B., is at home working the farm; Elizabeth A., died very suddenly of 
heart disease 21 Jan 1888, when nineteen years of age; Rose B. is a young 
lady residing with her mother in the city of Madison.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly