from The History of Hendricks County (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914)--pages 332-333
Every one of the thirteen original colonies contributed to the population of Indiana, and, as was the case in the early history of the states, it was only the most ambitious and enterprising families in the East who ventured to this new territory in the West. When Fox started a new religion in England and his followers became known as Quakers, or Friends, no one would have thought that this new society would play such an important part in the early history of Indiana. When the Friends first came to the United States they settled in Pennsylvania, but later on large numbers of them settled in North Carolina. When it was seen in the early part of the nineteenth century that North Carolina was determined to remain a slave state, there were thousands of these good Friends who left that state and emigrated to free territory. It was from North Carolina that the Friends in Wayne County came, and Hendricks County owes an everlasting debt of gratitude to North Carolina for sending to its borders some of the best pioneers of this county. Among the many members of this church who came to Hendricks County, the Chandler family were among the most prominent.
William Chandler was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, on May 24, 1851. His parents were Jacob and Mary (Picket) Chandler. Jacob Chandler came to Indiana with his parents when he was four years of age and at first settled in Wayne County near Richmond. Shortly afterwards his parents came to Hendricks County and entered land in Guilford Township, within the first five years after Hendricks County was organized. Jacob Chandler was born in North Carolina in 1819, came to Indiana in 1823 and married in 1844. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Chandler were the parents of three sons: John, a retired farmer of this township; Hadley, deceased, and William, whose history is herewith portrayed. By her former marriage to Joab Hadley, Mrs. Chandler had five children. Mr. and Mrs. Chandler both died, he in 1892 and she in 1895.
William Chandler received his early education in his home neighborhood and early in life began to work on his father's farm. He continued to work on the farm until his marriage, when he began to operate a farm of his own. During his whole career he has lived the life of the simple farmer, going through the daily and yearly routine which is common to every man in this occupation, and year by year adding to his possession, until at the present time he has a fine farm of two hundred and ten acres.
Mr. Chandler has been thrice married, his first marriage being to Indiana Townsend on December 31, 1874; she died October 15, 1889, leaving no children, and on April 2, 1891, Mr. Chandler was married to Anna Starbuck, who died October 14, 1895. He was married to Martha E. Hadley on November 4, 1896. She was the daughter of Amos and Sallie V. Hadley, and one of six children. There have been no children by any of these marriages.
Mr. Chandler has been a life-long member of the Prohibition Party, feeling that in the abolition of all intoxicating liquors should be found the greatest aid to the advancement of the welfare of our country. Mr. Chandler, as well as all of his ancestors, has been identified with the Friends Church and to this he has always contributed liberally. Mr. Chandler is a man who has always been found contending; in fact, he would adhere to a conviction if all the world were against him. He lives in a comfortable home, where the spirit of genuine old-time hospitality is always in evidence, and because of his genial disposition and manly qualities of character he is held in the highest esteem by all who know him.