Representative Cyrus Durey

Cyrus Durey (May 16, 1864 – January 4, 1933) was an American businessman and Republican politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1907 to 1911. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, when the nation was experiencing rapid industrial growth and political reform, and he participated in the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of his constituents in upstate New York.

Durey was born on May 16, 1864, in Caroga, New York, a town in Fulton County. He attended the common schools of the area and continued his education at Johnstown Academy in nearby Johnstown, New York. His early employment included service as a supervisor’s clerk, a position that provided him with practical experience in local government administration and public affairs. These early roles helped establish his familiarity with municipal operations and the concerns of rural communities in his region.

Before entering national politics, Durey was active in local government and business. He served as supervisor of the town of Caroga in 1889 and 1890, further deepening his involvement in public service at the local level. In private life he engaged in the lumber and real estate business, enterprises that were important to the economy of Fulton County and the surrounding Adirondack region. His business activities complemented his growing political profile and gave him insight into the economic needs of his district.

Durey’s first significant federal appointment came in the field of postal service. He was appointed postmaster of Johnstown, New York, on August 19, 1898, a position he held until February 28, 1907. His nearly nine years as postmaster coincided with a period of expansion and modernization in the postal system, and the role placed him at the center of communication and commerce in his community. During this time he also advanced within the Republican Party, serving as a member of the Republican State Committee from 1904 to 1906, which broadened his influence in state politics and helped lay the groundwork for his later congressional career.

In 1906, Durey was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives. He served in the Sixtieth and Sixty-first Congresses from March 4, 1907, to March 3, 1911. As a Representative from New York, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office, participating in debates and votes on issues arising in the Progressive Era. His service in Congress occurred during a time of significant national change, and he took part in the democratic process as a member of the House, representing the interests of his constituents in Washington. In 1910 he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Sixty-second Congress, bringing his initial period of legislative service to a close.

After leaving Congress, Durey continued his career in federal service. On March 20, 1911, he was appointed collector of internal revenue for the fourteenth district of New York. In this capacity he oversaw the administration and collection of federal taxes in his district, serving until September 30, 1914. His experience in revenue administration reflected the growing complexity of federal fiscal policy in the early twentieth century and kept him in a prominent public role even after his congressional tenure had ended.

Durey remained active in Republican Party affairs on the national stage. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912, a pivotal year marked by divisions within the party, and again as a delegate in 1920, when the party returned to power in the post–World War I era. On September 30, 1921, he was again appointed collector of internal revenue for the fourteenth district of New York, resuming the position he had previously held. He continued in this office until his death, maintaining a long-standing presence in federal administration and Republican politics.

Cyrus Durey died in office on January 4, 1933, in Albany, New York, while still serving as collector of internal revenue. He was interred in North Bush Cemetery, near Johnstown, New York, close to the communities where he had been born, educated, and first entered public life. Throughout his career, he combined business pursuits with a succession of local, state, and federal positions, including two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, leaving a record of sustained public service in New York and at the national level.