BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Page 525.


MATTHEW A. CHEW, general superintendent of the nail department of the
Laughlin nail company's works, is a native of Pittsburgh, born March 14, 1857.
He is a grandson of Richard Chew, a native of England, who, before coming to
America in 1826, was a soldier in the British army. After coming to this
country he followed his trade as a nailer until his death in 1835. His son,
Matthew J., the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Trenton,
N. J., and received his education in the Catholic schools at Pittsburgh. He
learned the trade of a nailer at New Castle, Penn., and in 1858 came to
Wheeling, where he was engaged with the Belmont iron company. In 1864 he
became a stockholder in the Belmont iron company and removed to Ironton,
Ohio, but in 1866 he returned to Wheeling and was employed in the old Top
mill. His death occurred in 1878. By his marriage to Annie Adams, a native
of Pennsylvania, who survives, he had eleven children, seven of whom are
living. Matthew A. Chew, when fourteen years old, spent three months as
an apprentice with Bell, Atchison & Co., nail manufacturers, and then com-
pleted his trade with his father. After this he worked uninterruptedly at
his trade, with the exception of seven months as a clerk in the store of
Joseph Graves, at Wheeling, until 1885. At the time of the strike in that
year he was elected national secretary of the the U. N. N. and R. associa-
tion, and served in that capacity until the close of the strike in 1886.
He then purchased a half interest in the News Letter, at Wheeling, and was
connected with that paper until July, 1888. Resuming his trade, he worked
at the Spaulding nail works at Brilliant Ohio, until November, 1889, when
he was tendered his present position. He is widely known for his skill-
fullness, energy and enterprise. In politics he is a republican. Mr. Chew
was married in August, 1878, to Annie, daughter of Joseph Graves, of
Wheeling, and they have one child, Ella B.