George William Chase

George William Chase (1810 – April 17, 1867) was a nineteenth-century American businessman, local official, and U.S. Representative from New York. He was born in 1810 in the town of Maryland, Otsego County, New York, a rural community in central New York State. Raised in an agricultural setting, he attended the local common schools, receiving the basic education typical of the period. His early life in Maryland Township laid the foundation for his later involvement in farming, commerce, and public affairs within his home region.

After completing his schooling, Chase established himself in Schenevus, New York, a village within Maryland Township. There he pursued a range of occupations characteristic of a developing rural economy in upstate New York. He worked as a farmer and miller, and he also became a leather manufacturer and merchant, reflecting the importance of agriculture, milling, and small-scale industry to the local economy. His business activities extended beyond a single trade, and he became known as an enterprising figure in Schenevus, participating in ventures that linked local production with broader markets.

Chase’s growing prominence in business led naturally to involvement in transportation and finance, sectors that were increasingly vital to the economic growth of New York in the mid-nineteenth century. He served on the board of directors of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, a line intended to connect the interior of the state with larger commercial centers and facilitate the movement of goods and passengers. His role with the railroad placed him among those local leaders who supported internal improvements and regional development. In addition, he later served on the board of directors of the Second National Bank of Cooperstown, further underscoring his engagement with the financial institutions that underpinned commerce in Otsego County and the surrounding area.

Alongside his business pursuits, Chase held a series of local public offices that reflected the trust placed in him by his community. From 1842 to 1843 he served as Town Supervisor of Maryland, New York, the chief administrative officer of the township, where he would have been responsible for overseeing town finances, roads, and local governance. At different times he also served as postmaster of both Maryland and Schenevus, positions that carried federal appointment and responsibility for managing the mail, a critical function in an era when postal service was a primary means of communication. These roles combined local leadership with federal connection and helped establish his reputation as a public servant.

Chase’s experience in business and local government provided the background for his entry into national politics. A member of the Whig Party, he was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-third Congress and served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1853, to March 3, 1855, representing a district in New York State. His tenure in Congress coincided with a period of intense national debate over issues such as slavery, territorial expansion, and economic policy, although detailed records of his specific legislative positions are limited. As a Whig from upstate New York, he would have been associated generally with support for internal improvements, economic development, and a strong role for Congress in shaping national policy.

After leaving Congress at the conclusion of his term in 1855, Chase returned to Otsego County and resumed his former agricultural and business pursuits. He continued his involvement in local enterprises, including his service on the board of directors of the Second National Bank of Cooperstown, and maintained his interests in farming, milling, manufacturing, and mercantile activity in and around Schenevus. In this post-congressional period, he remained a figure of local prominence, contributing to the economic life of his community rather than seeking further national office.

George William Chase died in Chaseville, Maryland Township, New York, on April 17, 1867. He was interred in the Chase family vault in Schenevus Cemetery, reflecting his lifelong association with the Maryland–Schenevus area. His career as a farmer, businessman, local official, and one-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives illustrates the path of a mid-nineteenth-century rural New York leader whose public service was closely intertwined with the economic development of his home region.