Did You Know? Man of a Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney By: Leah Davis Witherow, CSPM Curator of History & Archivist Did you know that the Man of a Thousand Faces was born and raised in Colorado Springs? Silent film star Lon Chaney, renowned for his roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera, credited his experiences growing up here with shaping his acting talent and career choice. Photo Courtesy of Chaney Entertainment Chaney’s maternal grandparents, John and Mary Kennedy had three children, all of whom were born with hearing loss. John Kennedy established a Mute Asylum in Kansas before arriving in Colorado in 1873. The next year, he established The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB) with a $5,000 appropriation from the Territorial Legislature. A building site of 10 acres was donated by the Colorado Springs Company. Lon’s father, Frank Chaney, was born in Ohio in 1852 and lost his hearing after contracting typhoid fever at age four. Lon’s mother, Emma Kennedy, was born in Kansas in 1855 and had hearing loss since birth. After meeting through social activities at the CSDB, Frank and Emma married in her parents’ home on December 5, 1877. Unfortunately, the Chaney family often struggled financially. Frank Chaney was employed as a barber for more than thirty years and the family moved frequently in search of spacious yet affordable lodging. Leonidas “Lon” Frank Chaney was born April 1, 1883, the second out of five children. Continued on the next page.... pg. 5
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