Entrepreneur. He was the younger cousin of Oliver and Giles Filley, owners of the Excelsior Stove Company in St. Louis, Missouri. He had planned a legal career and even trained for it in New York, but he changed his mind after visiting St. Louis in 1850 and saw the bustling wharf. He joined his brothers Samuel and Edward in the earthenware sales business, but this enterprise was dissolved after eight years. Chauncey then opted to import china products on his own and traveled to London to obtain suppliers and purchase initial stock. He then returned to St. Louis where he operated a profitable supply house for many years. He was an influential politician and a popular civic leader and booster. He was elected president of the St. Louis Board of Trade three times and led the drive to build a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, which eventually resulted in the construction of the Eads Bridge.
Entrepreneur. He was the younger cousin of Oliver and Giles Filley, owners of the Excelsior Stove Company in St. Louis, Missouri. He had planned a legal career and even trained for it in New York, but he changed his mind after visiting St. Louis in 1850 and saw the bustling wharf. He joined his brothers Samuel and Edward in the earthenware sales business, but this enterprise was dissolved after eight years. Chauncey then opted to import china products on his own and traveled to London to obtain suppliers and purchase initial stock. He then returned to St. Louis where he operated a profitable supply house for many years. He was an influential politician and a popular civic leader and booster. He was elected president of the St. Louis Board of Trade three times and led the drive to build a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, which eventually resulted in the construction of the Eads Bridge.
Bio by: Connie Nisinger
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