Chynoweth Family
Benjamin Chynoweth lived in St. Agnes, Cornwall, with his wife, Elizabeth Coombs, and worked as an agent in the local copper mines. Their son, John, was born in 1828 and soon after the family immigrated to America together. Benjamin took a job as a mining agent in the Pennsylvania coal region near Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the Chynoweths were only in America for three years before Benjamin was killed in a mine explosion, forcing Elizabeth and John to return to their home and family in St. Agnes. John grew up in St. Agnes and had very little memory of his father or the family’s time in Pennsylvania. When he came of age, he became a copper miner in St. Agnes. In 1847, John immigrated to America once again - this time on his own. With his experience and reputable family name, John gravitated to the mining industry in the Pottsville, Pennsylvania area. It was here that he met his wife, Phillipa Barkla, whose family had immigrated from St. Agnes in 1834. John and Phillipa married in 1849 and had six children together. New mining regions in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula brought John Chynoweth to Ontonagon County in 1854. John became the Superintendent of the National Mine under a Pittsburgh syndicate. A year later, his family joined him and made their home in Rockland. John continued to run the National until 1876 when he then moved on to efforts to open the Mass Mine. In addition, he was instrumental in the opening of the Great Western (later known as the Belt), Aztec, and Victoria Mines, as well as other smaller ones. He played a great role in the mining business until his retirement in 1886.
John and Phillipa’s son, Benjamin Franklin Chynoweth, is known as one of the most prominent men in Copper Country mining. He was born in 1851 during the time the Chynoweth family lived in Pottsville, PA. He attended Albion College and later the University of Michigan for business. Benjamin Franklin Chynoweth moved back to Rockland and became prominently involved in the growth of the community industries. In 1879, he organized the Ontonagon Telegraph Company with his friends and business partners, Linus Stannard, James Mercer and L. Collins. The company reorganized as the Ontonagon Telephone Company in 1901, the name it still operates under today. It is said to be one of the oldest independent phone companies in the world.
Benjamin Houghton Chynoweth was born in Highland Park, MI on March 19, 1935. He attended Redford Schools, graduated in 1953 and enlisted in the Navy following his graduation. He also enrolled in the Michigan College of Mining and Technology in Mechanical Engineering. Benjamin Houghton married Arlis Myrtle Weza on August 18, 1956. They had 5 children: Diana Lynn, Helen Marie, Benjamin Houghton Jr., Beth Ann, and David Allen. Benjamin Houghton worked for Copper Range at the White Pine mine as an industrial hygienist, focusing on mine ventilation and air quality safety at White Pine Copper. He also worked on general mine safety as well which included both surface and underground operation. He left when the company shut down in 1995 after 39 years of service. His son, David Allen Chynoweth, was born on December 5, 1960. He attended Ontonagon Schools and graduated in 1979. David married Priscilla Ann Marley on August 6, 1983. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Michigan University in 1985 and taught for 3 years in the Ontonagon school district before settling at Adams Township School District where she taught for 29 years. David attended Gogebic Community College in Ironwood and worked for White Pine Copper as an ore car driver and powder man helper during the summer of 1987. They had two children, Marley Marie Chynoweth (born June 26, 1992) and Benjamin John Chynoweth (born May 19, 1996).
Benjamin Franklin was a pioneer in Ontonagon County mining, assuming charge of the National Mine while John’s attention turned to opening the Mass Mine. He later purchased the Mass Mine from his father and operated it until 1898. He served as the Director of the Ontonagon County National bank in Rockland (1898) and was an organizer of the Citizens State Bank in Houghton (1900). Additionally, he was a surveyor for Ontonagon County for 15 years. Benjamin married Matilda Chynoweth in 1891 and together they had 5 children: John, Curtis, Beryl, Benjamin, and Theodore.
Benjamin Raymond Chynoweth was born on Dec 25, 1898 in Rockland to Benjamin Franklin and Matilda Chynoweth. He moved to Houghton as a child and graduated from Houghton High School in 1918. Benjamin Raymond attended college at the University of Michigan and graduated from Albion College. Benjamin Raymond married Helen Williams on December 25, 1926 in Ripley. Helen Williams Chynoweth was born Dec 28, 1900 in Calumet and raised in Ripley. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1922 and taught school from 1921 until she married in 1926. They lived in Detroit from 1927 to 1953 when they moved back to make their home in the Copper Country. They had two sons, Benjamin Houghton and Robert Terryll. Benjamin Raymond was an amateur historian with great love and interest in Isle Royale. He explored the island during the summers of the 1920s and 1930s and researched during the other seasons. He conducted research on many different topics relating to Isle Royale and began collecting extensive information and objects from the island’s historic people. In 1983, he donated his manuscript, research notes, documents and artifacts to the Michigan Technological University Archives. Isle Royale National Park currently holds the artifacts he donated in their collections facility.
Benjamin Franklin Chynoweth
Benjamin Houghton & son David boating
Images courtesy of the Marley Chynoweth.