Jane and George Cheney, 1916

Jane and George Cheney, 1916

Item Information

Title:
Jane and George Cheney, 1916
Description:
George Cheney was one of the heroes of the May 16, 1874 Mill River Disaster that took many lives in Williamsburg and Northampton, Mass. Cheney, the caretaker of the huge reservoir dam that failed that morning, rode his horse bareback to the center of Williamsburg to spread word that the dam was crumbling, enabling many people to escape the resulting catastrophe. This little document, found among the papers of the Graves family, shows that his efforts were still remembered and appreciated many years later. Cheney and his wife Jane (Alvord) had stayed in Williamsburg into their old age, and young Charles Graves photographed them 42 years after the disaster. He and/or his brother Edwin evidently made up this page and added the accompanying notes, without which we wouldn't know who was in the picture or when the Cheneys left town. The Phillip Donald Cheney mentioned in the notes may have been the Cheneys' grandson. He is believed to have been employed as a hired hand on the Graves farm for a short time. The photograph is 2.75 x 4.5 inches and the black paper backing measures 6.25 x 10 inches.
Name on Item:
Charles E. Graves ; J. Edwin Graves
Date:
1916
Format:
Photographs
Ephemera
Location:
Williamsburg Historical Society
Collection (local):
Williamsburg, Mass., Historical Society, Graves Farm Documents Collection
Subjects:
Williamsburg (Mass.)
Disasters--Massachusetts--Williamsburg
Disasters--Massachusetts--Northampton
Cheney, George, 1844-1918
Alvord, Jane Elizabeth, 1847-1922
Cheney, Phillip Donald, ?-1919
Graves, Charles Erastus, 1894-1988
Graves, Joseph Edwin, 1892-1969
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampshire (county) > Williamsburg
Massachusetts > Hampshire (county) > Northampton
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/4j03db03m
Terms of Use:
Permission to publish the image must be obtained from the Williamsburg Historical Society by writing to ddarienzo@cwmars.org or Meekins@cwmars.org. The Williamsburg Historical Society, Williamsburg, Mass., must be credited as the original source of the item for all use.
Contact host institution for more information.
Language:
English
Notes:
Part of the Williamsburg, Mass., Historical Society, Graves Farm Documents Collection.
Identifier:
Williamsburg Historical Society--Graves Farm Documents Collection--WHS946 Jane and George Cheney, 1916
Jane_and_George_Cheney-1916