John Crawford Chaney (February 1, 1853 – April 26, 1940) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

from 1905 to 1909.

Early life and career

Chaney was born near

Lisbon, Ohio Lisbon is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in and the county seat of Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, along the Little Beaver Creek. The population was 2,597 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. It is a part of the Micropo ...

in 1854, and later moved to Lafayette Township, Indiana, with his parents, who settled on a farm near Fort Wayne. He attended the common schools, graduating first from Ascension Seminary,

Farmersburg, Indiana Farmersburg is a town in Curry Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is adjacent to the Vigo County line and is over ...

, in 1874 and later from the Terre Haute Commercial College. He taught school and served as superintendent of schools for five years before graduating from the law school of

Cincinnati University The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

in June 1882. Chaney was admitted to the bar in 1883 and commenced practice in

Sullivan, Indiana Sullivan is a city in Hamilton Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,249 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is the county seat of Sullivan County. History ...

. He served as a member of the state central committee from the second district in 1884 and 1885. In July 1889, he was appointed by President Harrison as assistant to the Attorney General in the Department of Justice, serving in that position until August 1893, when he resigned and resumed the practice of law.

Congress

Chaney was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Congresses (March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1909) for

Indiana's 2nd congressional district Indiana's 2nd congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress in Northern Indiana. It includes South Bend and Elkhart. On November 8, 2022, Republican candidate Rudy Yakym won both the special election, to complete the re ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1908 to the Sixty-first Congress.

Later career and death

After leaving the House, he continued the practice of law in

, where he died on April 26, 1940. He was interred in Center Ridge Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaney, John Crawford 1853 births 1940 deaths United States Assistant Attorneys General University of Cincinnati College of Law alumni People from Lisbon, Ohio People from Allen County, Indiana People from Sullivan, Indiana Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana