Col. Frank W. Cheney

Frank W. Cheney served as Lieutenant Colonel of the 16th Connecticut Volunteers Infantry in the Civil War; he was wounded at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 and lay for four days on the battlefield. He was honorably discharged Dec. 24, 1862. He married Mary Bushnell, daughter of Horace Bushnell, on November 6, 1863 and ultimately had twelve children. They lived in Hartford until 1874 when they built a house in Manchester affectionately known as "Old Red." He attended Brown University in Providence, but was expelled for going to hear Jenny Lind sing. He lost the race for governnor in 1892. He helped to draft the protective tariff which allowed the country to expand in the post Civil War period. He served as Secretary and Treasurer of Cheney Bros. of South Manchester, Connecticut, and he was a director of many other businesses including banks, railroads and insurance companies. Frank W. Cheney died in Manchester, Connecticut in 1909.