Jerome Bunty Chaffee (April 17, 1825 – March 9, 1886) was an American entrepreneur and

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Chaffee County, Colorado Chaffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The county seat is Salida, Colorado, Salida. History Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between ...

is named after him.

Biography

He was born in

Cambria, New York Cambria is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 5,743 at the 2020 census. Cambria is an early name for Wales. The Town of Cambria is in the center of Niagara County. New York State Route 93 and New York ...

. He moved to

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County, Michigan, Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 5th congressional district. The c ...

in 1844 and worked as a teacher until starting a dry goods business in the late 1840s. In 1852, he moved to

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County, Missouri, Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the princ ...

, and later to Elmwood,

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

where he started banking businesses and engaged in land speculation. In 1860, he moved to Colorado to invest in mining. He was one of the founders of the City of

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, and founded the First National Bank of Denver in 1865. Chaffee entered politics and helped organize the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the 38th State of Colorado. The territory was organized ...

, serving in its first

legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...

as speaker. He was the territorial delegate to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

starting in 1870. In 1876, after Colorado was admitted to the Union, Chaffee was elected to the United States Senate. He served for the duration of his term, until 1879, but did not seek reelection due to poor health. In 1884, Chaffee was elected state chairman of the

Colorado Republican Party The Colorado Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Colorado. The party's headquarters is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The Republican Party was dominant in the state as recently as the mi ...

. His sole surviving child, daughter Fannie Josephine (1857–1909), married

Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. Ulysses S. "Buck" Grant Jr. (July 22, 1852 – September 25, 1929) was an American attorney and entrepreneur. He was the second son of U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant. Early life and education Ulysses S. Grant Jr. was born in Bethel, Ohio, on J ...

, a son of

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

. The couple had five children, including

Ulysses S. Grant IV Ulysses Simpson Grant IV (May 23, 1893 – March 11, 1977) was an American geologist and paleontologist known for his work on the fossil mollusks of the California Pacific Coast. He was the youngest son of Ulysses S. Grant Jr., and a grandson of ...

. Chaffee died March 9, 1886, at the Grants' home in

Salem Center, New York North Salem is a town in the northeastern section of Westchester County, New York, United States. The town, incorporated in 1788, is a suburb of New York City, located approximately 50 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 census, N ...

. He is buried in Adrian Cemetery, in

.''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''
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Notes

References

*
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Chaffee, Jerome Bunty
', accessed 9 December 2005 * ''The National Cyclopædia of American Biography''. (1929) Vol. VI New York: James T. White & Co. pp. 199–200. * ''Who was Who in America, Historical Volume''. (1963) Chicago: Marquis Who's Who {{DEFAULTSORT:Chaffee, Jerome B. 1825 births 1886 deaths Members of the Colorado Territorial Legislature Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Territory Politicians from Niagara County, New York People from Adrian, Michigan Colorado Republican Party chairs Republican Party United States senators from Colorado Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century United States senators