| Order: | 1st postmaster of |
| Office: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Term Start: | 1845 |
| Term End: | April 7, 1847 |
| Predecessor: | Washington Henry Chick |
| Preceding: | Position established |
| Birth Place: | Lynchburg, Virginia, US |
| Death Place: | Kansas City, Missouri, US |
| Occupation: | Businessman, pioneer |
| Birth Date: | August 31, 1794 |
| Military Blank1: | Rank |
| Military Data1: | Colonel |
| Military Blank2: | War |
| Military Data2: | War of 1812 |
| Children: | 8 |
| Relations: | William Chick Scarritt (grandson)Dorothy McKibbin (great-granddaughter) |
William Miles Chick (August 31, 1794 – April 7, 1847) is an American businessman and pioneer, who was one of the earliest settlers and the first postmaster of Kansas City, Missouri.
Chick was born on a tobacco farm near Lynchburg, Virginia, on August 31, 1794. He grew up working on the farm, and worked as a merchant in Alexandria. He served in the War of 1812, reaching the rank of colonel, but never fought a battle. In 1816, he married Ann Eliza Smith, having 8 children.[1]
In 1822, Chick moved to Missouri and built a farm. When the Missouri River flooded in 1826, their farm was destroyed. He then moved to Howard County and spent a decade farming tobacco. In 1836, he moved to Kansas City and bought a 2-story log cabin from John Calvin McCoy. There, he operated a general store.[2]
In 1838, he and a group of investors founded the Town of Kansas. In 1843, he opened a riverfront warehouse to store fur.
In 1845, Chick became the first postmaster of Kansas City, serving until his death of pneumonia on April 7, 1847.[3] After his death, his son Washington Henry Chick became the second postmaster of Kansas City.
One of Chick's daughter's, Virginia Christiana Chick, married John Calvin McCoy on January 23, 1838.[4] Another daughter, Martha Matilda Chick, married Nathan Scarritt in 1850.[5] Their child and his grandson, William Chick Scarritt—who was named after him, was a prominent lawyer and owner of the William Chick Scarritt House.[6] His daughter and Chick's great-granddaughter was Dorothy McKibbin, a manager of the Manhattan Project.[7]