Joseph Bouck

Joseph Bouck (July 22, 1788 – March 30, 1858) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from New York who served one term in Congress from 1831 to 1833. He was born on Bouck’s Island, near Fultonham, in Schoharie County, New York, an area that was then largely rural and agricultural. He attended the local rural schools of his native county, receiving a basic education typical of the period. Bouck was a member of a politically prominent family in New York; he was the brother of William C. Bouck, who later became governor of New York, and the uncle of Gabriel Bouck, who would serve as a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.

Following his schooling, Bouck engaged in agricultural pursuits for many years in Schoharie County. Farming remained his principal occupation and provided the foundation for his later public service, grounding him in the concerns of rural constituents and local economic life. He eventually changed his residence to Middleburgh, also in Schoharie County, where he continued his involvement in agriculture and local affairs.

Bouck’s first known public office was at the county level. In 1828 he served as inspector of turnpike roads in Schoharie County, New York, a position that involved oversight of important transportation routes in a period when road conditions were critical to commerce, communication, and regional development. This role reflected both his familiarity with local needs and his growing participation in public service.

Elected as a member of the Jackson Party, or Jacksonian, Bouck entered national politics during a transformative era in American democracy. He was chosen as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-second Congress and served as the United States Representative for New York’s twelfth congressional district from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1833. His single term in the U.S. House of Representatives coincided with the presidency of Andrew Jackson, a time marked by debates over federal power, internal improvements, and economic policy. As a member of the Jackson Party representing New York, Joseph Bouck contributed to the legislative process during this one term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in Schoharie County and the surrounding region.

After completing his term in Congress, Bouck did not seek or hold further federal office and returned to his private life in Middleburgh, New York. He resumed his agricultural pursuits and remained a resident of Middleburgh for the rest of his life, continuing to be identified with the local community from which he had emerged.

Joseph Bouck died in Middleburgh on March 30, 1858, at the age of 69 years and 251 days. He was interred in Middleburgh Cemetery in Middleburgh, New York. His life and career linked him to a notable political family and to a formative period in both New York and national politics, while his principal identity remained that of a Schoharie County farmer who briefly served in the United States Congress.