Representative Isaac Teller

Isaac Teller (February 7, 1799 – April 30, 1868) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1854 to 1855. He was born on February 7, 1799, in Matteawan, New York, a community that later became part of the city of Beacon in Dutchess County. He was a nephew of Abraham Henry Schenck, who also served in the United States House of Representatives, indicating that Teller was connected from an early age to a family with established political and public service traditions.

Teller completed his preparatory studies in his native region of New York. Following his education, he became involved in local affairs and held several local offices, reflecting an early and sustained engagement in public life. His experience in local governance helped establish his reputation within the community and provided the foundation for his later political career at the national level.

In addition to his public service, Teller engaged in agricultural pursuits, a common occupation in the Hudson River Valley during the first half of the nineteenth century. His work in agriculture tied him closely to the economic and social concerns of his rural constituents and informed his understanding of the issues facing farmers and local communities in New York.

Teller’s congressional career arose under special circumstances. A member of the Whig Party, he was elected to the Thirty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Gilbert Dean. Teller won the special election and served as a U.S. Representative from New York from November 7, 1854, to March 3, 1855. His single term in office occurred during a significant and turbulent period in American history, as debates over slavery, sectional tensions, and the future of the Union intensified in the years leading up to the Civil War. As a Whig representing New York, Teller contributed to the legislative process during his one term in Congress, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in the House of Representatives.

After the conclusion of his brief congressional service, Teller returned to private life in New York. He continued to reside in Matteawan, remaining part of the community in which he had been born and where he had long been active in both local affairs and agricultural pursuits. He did not return to national office, but his service in Congress placed him among the mid-nineteenth-century New York Whigs who participated in federal governance during a critical era.

Isaac Teller died in Matteawan, New York, on April 30, 1868. He was interred in Fishkill Rural Cemetery, located in nearby Fishkill, New York. His life reflected the trajectory of a locally rooted nineteenth-century public servant who combined agricultural work, local officeholding, and a brief but notable term in the United States House of Representatives.