Chittenden Lyon (February 22, 1787 – November 23, 1842) was an American businessman and politician from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. He was most notable for his service as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1827 to 1833.

Biography

Chittenden Lyon was born in

Fair Haven, Vermont Fair Haven is a New England town, town in Rutland County, Vermont, Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,736 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Within the town is located the census-designated place of Fair Ha ...

, on February 22, 1787, the son of

Matthew Lyon Matthew Lyon (July 14, 1749 – August 1, 1822) was an Irish-born American printer, farmer, soldier and politician, who served as a United States representative from both Vermont and Kentucky. Lyon represented Vermont in Congress from 1797 to ...

and Beulah (Chittenden) Lyon. Beulah Lyon was the daughter of Governor

Thomas Chittenden Thomas Chittenden (January 6, 1730August 25, 1797) was an American politician from Vermont, who was a leader of the territory for nearly two decades. He was the state's first and third governor, serving from 1778 to 1789—when it was a largely ...

and the sister of Governor Martin Chittenden. Chittenden Lyon attended the common schools of Fair Haven before the Lyon family moved to Kentucky in 1801. The Lyons settled in

Caldwell County, Kentucky Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,649. Its county seat is Princeton. The county was formed in 1809 from Livingston County, Kentucky and named for John Caldwell, w ...

, and after completing his education, Lyon became a successful merchant and farmer in Eddyville. He owned slaves. According to descriptions by his contemporaries, Lyon was a "giant," well over six feet tall and nearly 350 pounds. As a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed l ...

, Lyon was a member of the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

from 1822 to 1825. In 1826, Lyon was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

as a Jacksonian. He was reelected three times, and served from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1835. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1834, and returned to his business and farming interests. Lyon died in Eddyville, on November 23, 1842, and was buried in Eddyville Cemetery. In 1842, he had been elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives, but he died before the start of the term and never took his seat.

Family

In 1817, Lyon married Nancy Vaughn (1796–1828). In 1829, he married Frances (Baker) Jones (1802–1866). With her first husband, Frances Lyon was the mother of Edmund W. Jones (1822–1853). With his first wife, Lyon was the father of: *Mary Ann (1818–1873) *Margaret Aurelia (b. 1820) *Matthew Skinner (1823–1891) *Giles James Nelson (b. 1825) *Chittenden Patton (1827–1863) With Frances Baker, Lyon was the father of: *Helen Minerva (1830–1880) *Loraine Elvira (1831–1840) *Thompson Archer (1833–1899) Margaret Lyon was the first wife of U.S. Senator

Willis Benson Machen Willis Benson Machen (April 10, 1810 – September 29, 1893) was an American politician who was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky from 1872 to 1873. Early life Willis Benson Machen was born the son of Henry Ballenger Machen and Nancy ...

Legacy

Lyon County, Kentucky Lyon County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,680. Its county seat is Eddyville, Kentucky, Eddyville. The county was formed from Cal ...

, which was separated from Caldwell County, Kentucky in 1854, was named in his honor.

References

External links

Chittenden Lyon Letters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Chittendon 1787 births 1842 deaths People from Fair Haven, Vermont Chittenden family American people of Irish descent Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Lyon County, Kentucky Elected officials who died without taking their seats Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly