Background
Jerome Bunty Chaffee was born on April 17, 1825 on a farm near Lockport, Niagara County, New York, United States. He was the second child of Warren and Elizabeth (Otto) Chaffee.
banker political leader mining man
Jerome Bunty Chaffee was born on April 17, 1825 on a farm near Lockport, Niagara County, New York, United States. He was the second child of Warren and Elizabeth (Otto) Chaffee.
He received a common school education in Lockport and later in Adrian, Michigan, to which place the family moved in his early youth.
His subsequent career was varied, for he clerked in stores, taught school, and kept books in a bank. In his early thirties Chaffee went to St. Joseph, becoming a banker and manager of a real-estate company. After the death of his wife, he migrated to the Pike's Peak gold region in 1860. The firm of Smith & Chaffee operated a stamp-mill in Gilpin County with profit, but the partners made more money through their investments in mines, especially in the rich Bobtail mine. After amassing a fortune in the mountains, Chaffee left them in 1865 to live in Denver. While retiring from the mountains, he never gave up his interest in mining. His investments in Colorado mines were widespread, large, and usually fortunate. For a time he shared in the rich proceeds of the Little Pittsburgh in the Leadville district. Though a successful business man, Chaffee was best known as a political leader. He was elected to the lower house of the territorial legislature in 1861 and 1863 and became its speaker in 1864. Recognized as a leader of the Republican party, he was chosen as United States senator in 1865, at a time when Colorado hoped to become a state. With John Evans, his colleague, he went to Washington and labored in vain to convert this hope into a reality. As territorial delegate from 1871 to 1875 he spent both time and money freely upon what had now become his main object in life, the admission of Colorado to statehood. Finally on March 3, 1875, when President Grant signed the enabling act, his dreams came true. At the time he was given the chief credit for this accomplishment; in most ways it was the greatest moment of his life. The grateful caucus of the Republican members of the Colorado legislature nominated him by acclamation as its first choice for United States senator and he served in that capacity for the short term from 1877 to 1879. He declined to run again because of ill health. While territorial delegate and senator he was able to secure the passage of several acts benefiting his district, especially a new mining law. After years of directing the Republican party organization in Colorado, he was selected in 1884 as chairman of the national executive committee of the same party. This was his final political honor. On his last trip to Leadville in 1886, he caught a severe cold, returned to his daughter's home, and died there. His body lies beside that of his wife in Adrian.
Chaffee was always a man of few words. He was an able organizer, open-handed in generosity to friends and party, blunt in speech, and a bitter foe to his enemies. His massive head, broad shoulders, and height made him a noticeable figure.
He married Miriam Comstock in Adrian in 1848 and had four children.