by Mike Roberts, Church Historian
Much has been reported in this column from our archives, biographies, and other references regarding the many ministers who accepted the pulpit to what we now call Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. Not as much has been offered about the men and women who gave much of their lives to the sustenance and support of our congregation. In this and in future articles, I will introduce a few of those persons, who, over the years, have been integral parts of our heritage.
William Chidsey— Brother Chidsey was a long-time member of our church and its board of trustees from the 1850s to the 1870s. He was born in Bristol, England in 1814 and immigrated to the United States as a young man. He brought with him the skill of wire making and, after a brief stay in Philadelphia, he came to Cincinnati where he opened the first wire making business in the city.
Chidsey prospered and extended his service to the city in several other pursuits. He served as a justice of the peace for many years. He also was a clerk in the county auditor’s office. Most of all, he was remembered as a highly respected and honored member of the International Order of Odd Fellows. He held many statewide positions and his funeral was attended by nearly every high ranking member of the I.O.O.F. in the state of Ohio.
Chidsey evidently left the Universalist Society at some point late in his life. His funeral was held at the Church of the Advent, an Episcopalian Church in Walnut Hills. William Chidsey married Sarah Bacon and they had four children.
Charles H. Stephens — Brother Stephens was a lifetime member of the First Universalist Society of Cincinnati. He served in many capacities including numerous terms as President of the Board of Trustees as well as serving as a trustee when not serving in an office. He also chaired many committees and was instrumental in the construction of our church building on Essex Avenue.
In private life Stephens was a lawyer, owning his own firm after the death of his co-owner Timothy Lincoln. Stephens also served on the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati School System alongside Alfonse Taft, the father of William Howard Taft. He served on the Board of Alderman for the city and was part of the team that successfully attacked the corruption in city hall.
Stephens took great pride in casting his first vote for President for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Charles married Alice Bard and they had three sons. One son joined the law firm, a second died young, and the third was Vice-President of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Stephens passed away at age 99 in 1940. He was thought to be the oldest member of the Ohio Bar Association and made regular trips to his office until just three weeks before his death. He granted the church $2,500 in his will to be used as the leadership chose. The grant was named after his mother, Elizabeth, who died in 1922 at age 100.
Image caption: William Chidsey and Charles H. Stephens
Image source: Mike Roberts and https://tinyurl.com/mr236hsk