Charles Augustus Wheaton facts for kids

Charles Augustus Wheaton (1809–1882) was an important businessman and leader who fought against slavery in New York state. He was a big part of the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people find freedom. He also helped start the First Congregational Church in Syracuse, which strongly opposed slavery. Later, he moved to Northfield, Minnesota, where he helped start Carleton College and worked in the state government. He was also a newspaper editor.

Growing Up and School

Charles Augustus Wheaton was born on July 1, 1809, in Amenia, New York. His father was a farmer. When Charles was young, his family moved to Pompey in Onondaga County. Many families were moving west in New York after the American Revolutionary War.

Charles went to Pompey Academy, a good school for boys. His older brother, Horace, later became a US Congressman and the fourth mayor of Syracuse. Horace also became Charles's business partner.

Family Life

On June 24, 1834, Charles Wheaton married Ellen Douglas Birdseye in Syracuse. They had been neighbors when they were growing up. Charles was 25 and Ellen was 18.

Ellen was one of twelve children. Her father, Victory Birdseye, was a leading politician in Onondaga County. He was a lawyer and served in Congress.

Charles and Ellen Wheaton had twelve children together. Ellen was well-educated and kept a detailed diary from 1850 to 1858. This diary shared what life was like for a wife and mother in a large family during that time. Ellen died in 1858 at age 42 from tuberculosis.

The Wheatons believed strongly in progressive ideas, especially fighting against slavery and supporting women's rights. They even sent some of their children to a school run by Theodore Weld and Angelina Weld Grimké, who were famous for these causes.

After Ellen passed away, Charles moved to Northfield, Minnesota in 1860. In 1861, he married Martha Elizabeth (Archibald) Wagener, who was a widow. Charles and Martha had five more children together. They also raised some of Charles's younger children from his first marriage. In total, Charles Wheaton had 17 children.

Business Ventures

When he was young, Charles worked in a general store. In 1835, he moved to Syracuse and started a hardware business. He worked with different partners, including his brother Horace. Their company became very successful.

In 1851, his hardware store burned down. But Charles quickly rebuilt a new store called C.A. Wheaton & Co. It was a large, four-story building overlooking the Erie Canal. By 1852, the Wheatons were very wealthy.

In 1853, Charles sold his share of the hardware business. He also sold the Wheaton Block building for a lot of money. He then invested in a printing press company and a railroad project. However, in 1854, a banking crisis and an economic downturn hit New York. By 1855, the family had lost all their money.

Fighting Against Slavery

The Wheatons were part of a large group of people in Syracuse who wanted to end slavery. They even knew John Brown, a famous abolitionist. Their work against slavery began around 1838. Charles helped start the First Congregational Church in Syracuse. He and other people who opposed slavery left their old church because it would not take a stand against slavery. The new church became a center for activists.

From 1839 to 1847, the Wheatons used their home as a station on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in Canada. Charles was so well-known for his anti-slavery work that one person even called him the "president of the Underground Railroad."

In 1839, Syracuse abolitionists helped an enslaved woman named Harriet Powell escape. She was staying at a local hotel with her enslavers. Officials suspected Charles Wheaton was involved and searched his home, but they didn't find her. Harriet made it safely to Canada.

In 1850, the US Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. This law said that all citizens had to help catch escaped enslaved people and return them to their enslavers, even in states where slavery was illegal. This law made many people in the North very angry.

On October 4, 1850, a group in Syracuse formed a Vigilance Committee. Charles Wheaton was one of the thirteen members. They planned to resist the Fugitive Slave Law. They sent their message to newspapers and government officials.

On October 1, 1851, Charles Wheaton was part of a group that rescued William "Jerry" Henry. Henry was an escaped enslaved man who had been caught and jailed in Syracuse. A large crowd gathered outside the jail and eventually rescued Henry, setting him free.

The government investigated the rescue. They found a tool used to cut Henry's chains that was traced to the Wheaton house. Ellen Wheaton believed that about half the people in Syracuse supported the rescue. Charles expected to be arrested, but he never was. After hiding Henry for four days, abolitionists helped him escape to Canada. This event became known as the Jerry Rescue.

Charles Wheaton also ran for political office several times, trying to become a Canal Commissioner and mayor of Syracuse. He ran on tickets that supported ending slavery and the Temperance movement (which aimed to reduce alcohol use), but he did not win these elections.

Life in Minnesota

After his wife Ellen died in 1858, Charles Wheaton was very sad. His friends, John and Anna North, who had moved to Northfield, Minnesota, encouraged him to join them. In 1860, Charles moved to Northfield with many of his children.

When John North faced financial problems, Charles Wheaton bought his shares in the local flour mill and other properties. This helped the town's economy. For a while, Wheaton's Northfield Mills produced "choice family flour."

In 1866, Charles Wheaton was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature, where he served one term. That same year, Charles Wheaton and Charles M. Goodsell each donated land to help start Northfield College. This college later became Carleton College.

Later, Charles Wheaton became the editor of two local newspapers, the Northfield Standard and the Rice County Journal. He wrote a regular column called "Sunday's Doings," where he reviewed sermons from local churches. He would visit up to three churches every Sunday to prepare his column.

When Charles Wheaton died in 1882 at age 72, the banks and businesses in Northfield closed for his funeral as a sign of respect. People remembered him as a leader who always supported good causes and progressive ideas.