Jonathan Chace
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Chace was a United States Representative and Senator
from Rhode Island
. Born at Fall River, Massachusetts
, he son of Harvey Chace and the grandson of Oliver Chace
. In 1854, he married Jane C. Moon, and they had children: Anna H., Elizabeth M. and Susan A. (the latter deceased). He was also the nephew of famed 19th century abolitionist Elizabeth Buffum Chace
and had himself been active in the Underground Railroad
during his time in Philadelphia, where he operated a dry goods store.
He attended the public schools and Friends' School at Providence
. He moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island
and engaged in cotton manufacturing; he was a member of the Rhode Island Senate
in 1876-1877 and was elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses and served from March 4, 1881, to January 26, 1885, when he resigned.
Chace was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry B. Anthony
; he was reelected in 1888 and served from January 20, 1885, to April 9, 1889, when he resigned. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment (Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses). He was president of the Phoenix National Bank of Providence, Rhode Island, and was interested in several manufacturing enterprises. Chace died in Providence in 1917; interment was in the North Burial Ground
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Born at Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, he son of Harvey Chace and the grandson of Oliver Chace
Oliver Chace
Oliver Chace was the founder of several New England textile manufacturing companies in the early 19th century, including the Valley Falls Company, the original antecedent of Berkshire Hathaway, currently one of the largest companies in the world.-Early life:Chace was born on August 24, 1769 in...
. In 1854, he married Jane C. Moon, and they had children: Anna H., Elizabeth M. and Susan A. (the latter deceased). He was also the nephew of famed 19th century abolitionist Elizabeth Buffum Chace
Elizabeth Buffum Chace
Elizabeth Buffum Chace was an influential American activist in the Anti-Slavery, Women's Rights, and Prison Reform Movements of the mid-to-late 19th century.- Birth and early life :...
and had himself been active in the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
during his time in Philadelphia, where he operated a dry goods store.
He attended the public schools and Friends' School at Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island
Central Falls, Rhode Island
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 19,376 at the 2010 census. With an area of only , it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the thirty-second most densely populated incorporated place in the United...
and engaged in cotton manufacturing; he was a member of the Rhode Island Senate
Rhode Island Senate
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year...
in 1876-1877 and was elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses and served from March 4, 1881, to January 26, 1885, when he resigned.
Chace was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry B. Anthony
Henry B. Anthony
Henry Bowen Anthony was a United States newspaperman and political figure. He served as the editor and later part owner of the Providence Journal and later was the 21st Governor of Rhode Island between 1849 and 1851, as a member of the Whig Party.The son of William Anthony and Mary Kennicut...
; he was reelected in 1888 and served from January 20, 1885, to April 9, 1889, when he resigned. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment (Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses). He was president of the Phoenix National Bank of Providence, Rhode Island, and was interested in several manufacturing enterprises. Chace died in Providence in 1917; interment was in the North Burial Ground
North Burial Ground
The North Burial Ground is a cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island, dating to 1700. Providence had no public burial ground and no Common until the year 1700 because Rhode Island's religious and government institutions were so rigorously kept distinct, dating back to its founding by Roger...
.