Person Colby Cheney

"Senator Cheney" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator Cheney (disambiguation).

Person Colby Cheney (February 25, 1828 – June 19, 1901) was a paper manufacturer, abolitionist and Republican politician from Manchester, New Hampshire. He was the 35th governor of New Hampshire and later represented the state in the United States Senate.

Person Colby Cheney
35th Governor of New Hampshire
In office June 10, 1875 – June 7, 1877
Preceded by	James A. Weston
Succeeded by	Benjamin F. Prescott
United States Senator from New Hampshire
In office November 24, 1886 – June 14, 1887
Appointed by	Moody Currier
Preceded by	Austin F. Pike
Succeeded by	William E. Chandler
19th Mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire
In office 1872–1872
Preceded by	James A. Weston
Succeeded by	Charles H. Bartlett
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office 1854
Personal details
Born	February 25, 1828 Holderness, New Hampshire, U.S. (now Ashland)
Died	June 19, 1901(1901-06-19) (aged 73) Dover, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Republican

Biography

Cheney was born in Holderness (now Ashland) to abolitionists, Abigail and Moses Cheney. Oren Burbank Cheney, the founder of Bates College, was Person Cheney's older brother. Cheney attended academies in Peterborough and Hancock and the Parsonsfield Seminary in Parsonsfield, Maine. He engaged in the manufacture of paper in Peterborough until 1866, and in 1854 was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

During the Civil War he was first lieutenant and regimental quartermaster in the Thirteenth Regiment of the New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry (1862–1863). He was state railroad commissioner from 1864 to 1867. He moved to Manchester in 1867, and engaged in business as a dealer in paper stock and continued the manufacture of paper at Goffstown.

Person Colby Cheney circa 1875

Political career

He also engaged in agricultural pursuits until being elected mayor of Manchester in 1871. He was Governor of New Hampshire from 1875 to 1877. Cheney was appointed as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Austin F. Pike, and served from November 24, 1886, to June 14, 1887, when a successor was elected and qualified. He was not a candidate for election to fill the vacancy and resumed his former manufacturing pursuits.

Cheney served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Switzerland in 1892–1893. He died in Dover, New Hampshire in 1901 and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery at Manchester.

External links

• United States Congress. "Person Colby Cheney (id: C000343)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
• Cheney at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resources
• Sketches of Successful New Hampshire Men: Person Colby Cheney

Party political offices
Preceded by Luther McCutchins	Republican nominee for Governor of New Hampshire 1875, 1876	Succeeded by Benjamin F. Prescott
Political offices
Preceded by James A. Weston	Mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire 1872–1872	Succeeded by Charles H. Bartlett
Preceded by James A. Weston	Governor of New Hampshire 1875–1877	Succeeded by Benjamin F. Prescott
U.S. Senate
Preceded by Austin F. Pike	U.S. senator (Class 2) from New Hampshire 1886–1887 Served alongside: Henry W. Blair	Succeeded by William E. Chandler