Hezekiah Chaney
SOURCE: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889
Contributed by Michael Brown
18 Oct 1998
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SEBASTIAN CO
Hezekiah Chaney, a wealthy farmer, residing five miles south of Greenwood,
Ark., was born in Jefferson County, Tenn., in 1829, and is a son of Charles
and Phoebe (Brown) Chaney, both of whom were Tennesseeans, born in 1801 and
1805, and died June 8, 1877, and in 1843, respectively. The father was a son of
William Chaney, and resided in Tennessee until 1873, when he moved to Hickman
County, Ky., and in 1877 took up his residence in Logan County, Ark., coming
to Sebastian County two years later, where he died at the home of his son,
Hezekiah. After the death of his first wife he was married twice, and both of
his later wives are also dead. Eleven children were born to his first union,
Hezekiah being the fourth child. He was reared to manhood on a farm, and made
his home with his father until he was sixteen years old, when he hired out in a
brick-yard for $3 per month, and remained two seasons. He then began working
on a farm for $11 per month for one year. December 16, 1852, he was married to
Miss Debbie Brogdon, who was born in Williamson County, Tenn., in 1829, and by
whom he became the father of ten children: James William; Phoebe Jane, wife of
George Loney; Susan C., wife of Walter Cornett; George, Hezekiah, John F.;
Alice, wife of Samuel Gooden; Robert, Lucy Lee, who died in 1874, at the age
of eight years, and Luther Matthew. About 1865 Mr. Chaney moved to Hickman
County, Ky., and three years later became a resident of Texas County, Mo., and
nine months later located in Franklin County, Ark. Here he resided until 1879,
when he became a citizen of Sebastian County, and in 1880 purchased ninety-
five acres of land, sixty-five of which were under cultivation. He now owns 135
acres, and is doing well financially. He has been a life-long Democrat, and
his first presidential vote was cast for Franklin Pierce. He is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.