San Francisco County
Biographies
CHARLES
PALMER CHESLEY, M. D.
Charles Palmer Chesley, M. D., whose office is at No. 754 Howard street,
San Francisco, has been a resident of California since April 2, 1850, and is
therefore one of California’s early pioneers.
He has been engaged in the practice of medicine since 1870. He was born in Derry, New Hampshire, May 7,
1834, receiving his early education in the public schools of Durham, New
Hampshire. He left school and his native
State at the age of thirteen years. The
next two years were passed at sea, and two years later he was employed in the
manufacturing establishments at New Market and Dover, New Hampshire. In January, 1849, having been struck by the
gold fever, he started as cabin boy of the schooner Mary Simpson, which had
been fitted out for California. The
vessel was wrecked off Cape Hatteras, and was forced
to return, being towed into New York harbor.
Nothing daunted, he made another start in the latter part of that year
to reach California by the Nicaragua route.
Being short of funds Mr. Chesley was forced to
remain in Nicaragua, where he earned the money to reach this State by assisting
parties who were furnishing mules to the passengers for the trip across. In March of the next year he continued on his
trip to California. He remained in San
Francisco, and for eight years he was engaged in dental and commercial
pursuits, and for the next seven years he was engaged in the study and practice
of dentistry. He commenced the study of
medicine in 1865, under the preceptorship of Dr. L.
C. Lane and the late Dr. Isaac Rowell, with whom he studied until 1869, when he
entered the Toland Medical College, now the medical
Department of the University of California, where he took a two years’ course
of lectures and study. He then went East, and entered the medical department of the University
of Vermont, February 17, and was graduated June 14 of the same year. In 1870 he returned to California, entering
the Medical College of the Pacific, now the Cooper Medical College, in August,
1870, and graduated November 7, 1870, receiving the degree as Doctor of
Medicine from both of those universities.
Mr. Chesley at once engaged in private
practice, in which he has since continued.
He is a member
of the State Medical Society of California, of the county Medical Society of
San Francisco, and also of the National Medical Association, to which he was a
delegate in 1871. Dr. Chesley is of New England and Penobscot Indian descent; his
grandfather, Thomas B. Waters, was a member of Washington’s body guard during
the Revolutionary war. During the war of
1812 four uncles were engaged in the American army, two were privateersmen, and two were killed during that war. Dr. Chesley is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, California Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M.,
California Chapter, No. 5, Royal Arch Masons, California Commandery,
No. 1, Knights Templar, Islam Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of San
Francisco, California, of San Francisco, and Golden Gate Encampment, No. 1, San
Francisco; a member of Yerba Buena Lodge perfection,
No. 6, of San Francisco, Yerba Buena Lodge, No. 4,
Knights Rose Croix, San Francisco; also Godfrey de St. Omar Council No. 1,
Knights Kadosh, San Francisco; also an active member
of Grand Consistory of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry;
is a life member of all the Masonic bodies to which he belongs, except the
Grand Consistory, that not having a life membership.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, pages 94-95, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 Donna L. Becker.