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.


Pages 623-624.

WILLIAM CHAMBERS

One of the prominent citizens of Belmont county, in early times, was William
Chambers, who came to the county in 1812, and settled in Richland township. He
was a leading politician on the side of the democratic party, and filled
several township offices, and served with credit in the legislature as
representative of the county in 1835. He lived to the age of eighty-two
years. He was a son of Alexander and Rachel (Mays) Chambers, who emigrated
from Ireland with their family in 1798. In the next year they settled in
Jefferson county,and had their home in a log cabin in the woods, about two
miles east of the site of Mt. Pleasant. In the year 1800 this ancestor hired
out to chop wood at $8 a month, and at about the end of that period, finding
himself in urgent need of salt, had to pay $7 for fifty-six pounds. The family
there passed through all the hardships of the life of frontiersmen, having to
go fifteen miles for what corn they had ground. William Chambers married Jane
Vincent, a native of Ireland, and to them was born in 1825, William Chambers,
who at present resides on the land his father cleared in Richland township.
He was reared in this county and in 1855 was married to Adaline Anderson, who
was born in 1825, on the Richland township farm of her parents, Joshua and
Sarah Anderson. They have one child living, John W. Mr. Chambers and his wife
are members of the Presbyterian church, of which he is an elder, and was one
of the building committee for the erection of the new church at St. Clairs-
ville. He was also a contributor toward securing the public buildings at the
present county seat. He is prominent in township matters, having held several
offices and served as trustee four years. His farm of 115 acres is a valuable
and productive one.