Chauncey Johnston Fox (August 21, 1797, in

Tolland County, Connecticut Tolland County ( ) is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,788. It is incorporated into 13 towns and was originally formed on October 13, 1785, from portions of east ...

– February 11, 1883) was an American politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Life

He was the son of Thomas Fox (1770–1811) and Chloe (Bradley) Fox (1777–1852). In August 1818, Chauncey and his brother Pliny went to

Olean, New York Olean ( ) is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County and serves as its financial, business, transportation and entertainment center. It is ...

. They did not find any way to make a living and decided to go in a little boat to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, but after two days on the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

met a settler in the woods, and stayed in his employ. A few months later, Fox went to

Great Valley, New York Great Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,991 at the 2020 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries (the other being the neighborin ...

, and became a

lumberman Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks

. Finding the work too hard, he abandoned lumbering, studied law with John A. Bryan instead, was admitted to the bar in 1826, and practiced in

Ellicottville Ellicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,317 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company. The town of Ellicottville includes a ...

. On February 18, 1827, he married Hannah Hurlburt (1808–1896), and they had five children. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

(Cattaraugus Co.) in

1833 Events January–March * January 3 – The United Kingdom reasserts British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. * February 6 (January 25 on the Greek calendar) – Prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig of Bavaria arr ...

and

1834 Events January–March * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January 3 – The government of Mexico imprisons Stephen F. Austin in Mexico City. * January – The W ...

. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(8th D.) from 1835 to 1839, sitting in the 58th,

59th The 59th Quartermaster Company is a bulk petroleum company designed to provide semi-portable storage for of fuel and to provide distribution of fuel to military units within a specified geographic area while deployed overseas. Its secondary missi ...

, 60th, 61st and

62nd New York State Legislature The 62nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 7, 1839, during the first year of William H. Seward's governorship, in Albany, New York, Albany. Background ...

s. In the Senate he advocated the construction of the

Genesee Valley Canal The Genesee Valley Canal is a former canal that operated in western New York between 1840 and 1878. It ran for a length of 124 miles, passing through 106 locks. Its course was later used by the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad and today comprises po ...

which was authorized by the Legislature in 1836. He retired from the bar in 1848, and pursued agricultural interests on a farm near Ellicottville. He was buried at the

Jefferson Street Cemetery Jefferson Street Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at Ellicottville in Cattaraugus County, New York. The cemetery was established in 1817 and was the first to serve the village. It is a settlement era burial ground consisting of eight to ...

in Ellicottville.

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 130ff, 141, 213, 215 and 274; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) *Bio and portrait i
''Old Pioneers and Congressmen of Cattaraugus County''
compiled by John Manley (Little Valley NY, 1857; pg. 74ff) ives August 21 as birthdaybr>Cemetery records
at Painted Hills

ives August 17 as birthday Ives is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Alice Emma Ives (1876–1930), American dramatist, journalist * Burl Ives (1909–1995), American singer, author and actor * Charles Ives (1874–1954), Amer ...

br>Bradley genealogy
at Bradley Foundation {{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Chauncey J 1797 births 1883 deaths New York (state) state senators Anti-Masonic Party politicians from New York (state) People from Tolland County, Connecticut People from Ellicottville, New York Politicians from Cattaraugus County, New York New York (state) Whigs Members of the New York State Assembly 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature