Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

he attended Manchester Academy, the
public and high schools of Hartford, and
eventually matriculated at Brown Uni-
versity, where his academic education
was completed. When he attained his
majority in 1858, he entered the employ
of the Cheney Brothers' Silk Manufactur-
ing Company, being associated with his
father in the Hartford plant. He was a
man of intelligent initiative and consid-
erable energy, and to him may be attri-
buted much of the development of the
business generally, and particularly of the
ribbon department which he organized
and brought to a high standard and immense
volume of production. In 1878 he
was given a seat on the board of directors
of the firm, and eventually, on April 18,
1894, was elected to the principal executive
office the presidency, which from
that date he held until his death in 1907.
In addition to his comprehensive respon-
sibilities as president, he retained per-
sonal managerial control over several of
the departments. He was an authority
on weaving, and epscially supervised the
working of the weaving department, de-
veloping it from a department of very
little importance in the operations of the
firm to probably its most important part.
After leaving the Hartford mill, he removed
to South Manchester, where he
made his home.
Although Knight Dexter Cheney did
not enter very much into public affairs,
being so engrossed in business matters
as to have little time to engage in other
work, he was well and prominently known
in both business and social life in the
State. His position as president of the
Cheney Brothers' corporation made him
a central figure in the town of Manchester,
"and his sympathetic nature and
pleasant disposition, characteristics of the
Cheney family, made him the center of
a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
He was democratic and unassuming in
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
295
his manner, and did much to make life
pleasant and comfortable for the em-
ployees of the concern, and for the people
of the town."
On June 4, 1862, Mr. Cheney married,
at Exeter, New Hampshire, Ednah Dow
Smith, daughter of Samuel Garfield and
Elizabeth (Dow) Smith. She was born
in South Berwick, Maine, May 12, 1841,
died September 17, 1915. Children: 1.
Ellen Waitstill, born October 16, 1863;
married, April 23, 1895, Alexander Lam-
bert. 2. Elizabeth, born September 18,
1865, died April 7, 1898
; married, Novem-
ber 28, 1890, Alfred Cowles, to whom she
bore children : Alfred, Knight, John
and Thomas Hooker. 3. Harriet Bowen,
born February 4, 1867 ; married, February
12, 1896, William Hutchinson Cowles,
and had children: Harriet, William Hutchinson
and Cheney. 4. Helen, born
March 7, 1868; married, October 8, 1895,
Hugh Aiken Bayne ; their children were:
Helen and Elizabeth Cheney. 5. Knight
Dexter, Jr., born June 1, 1870, died Au-
gust 17, 1910; married, October 13, 1896,
Ruth Lambert, who bore him one child,
Knight Dexter (3), who however died in
infancy. 6. Ednah Parker, born February
3, 1873. 7. Theodora, born Septem-
ber 12, 1874; married, September 20,
1905, Lieutenant-Colonel Halstead Dorey,
of the United States Army ; they have
two children : Georgianna and Ednah
Cheney Dorey. 8. Clifford Dudley, born
January 3, 1877; married, May 25, 1904,
Elizabeth Cheney. 9. Philip, born May
8, 1878. 10. Thomas Langdon, born November
20, 1879; married Judith S. Cal-
kins. 11. Russell, born October 16, 1881,
died October 23, 1916.
CHENEY, James Woodbridge,
Retired Silk Manufacturer.
James Woodbridge Cheney, of South
Manchester, Connecticut, is the oldest