Representative Jonathan Scoville

Jonathan Scoville (July 14, 1830 – March 4, 1891) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1880 to 1883, and as mayor of Buffalo from 1884 to 1885. He was born on July 14, 1830, in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut, a community in the northwestern part of the state that was then closely tied to the region’s early iron industry. Details of his immediate family background are sparse in the historical record, but his later pursuits in iron manufacturing and mining suggest that he was familiar from an early age with the industrial and commercial life of his native region.

Scoville attended various educational institutions in Massachusetts, reflecting a course of study that combined general and technical training. Among these was the scientific department of Harvard University, where he pursued scientific and practical subjects that were increasingly important to mid-nineteenth-century industrial development. This education prepared him for a career in manufacturing and resource extraction at a time when advances in metallurgy, transportation, and industrial organization were transforming the American economy.

By 1854, Scoville had returned to the vicinity of his birthplace and engaged in business in Canaan, Connecticut, where he became an iron manufacturer and mine owner. In this capacity, he participated directly in the production of iron, a critical material for railroads, machinery, and construction. His work as an iron manufacturer and mine owner placed him at the intersection of natural resources, industrial technology, and regional commerce, and gave him practical experience in management, labor relations, and capital investment.

In 1860, Scoville moved to Buffalo, New York, a rapidly growing Great Lakes port and industrial center. There he established a car-wheel foundry, supplying essential components for the expanding railroad industry. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial outlook that extended beyond the United States, he founded another car-wheel foundry in 1861 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These enterprises linked him to the broader North American transportation network and underscored his role as a businessman operating on both sides of the U.S.–Canadian border. His success in these ventures helped make him a prominent figure in Buffalo’s commercial community and laid the groundwork for his later political career.

Scoville entered national politics as a member of the Democratic Party representing New York. He was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Ray V. Pierce. He took his seat on November 12, 1880, and, after winning reelection, served in the Forty-seventh Congress as well, remaining in office until March 3, 1883. During these two terms in Congress, he participated in the legislative process at a time of significant change in American society, marked by industrial expansion, debates over tariffs and monetary policy, and the continuing adjustment to the post–Civil War order. As a Democratic representative from New York, he contributed to the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in Buffalo and the surrounding region. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1882, choosing to conclude his congressional service after his second term.

Following his tenure in the House of Representatives, Scoville continued his public service at the municipal level. He was elected mayor of Buffalo and served from 1884 to 1885. As mayor, he presided over the city during a period of urban growth, industrial development, and increasing demands on local infrastructure and public services. His background in business and manufacturing informed his approach to municipal governance, and his administration formed part of the broader evolution of Buffalo from a regional commercial center into a major industrial city.

In his later years, Scoville remained associated with the commercial and political life of New York. He died in New York City on March 4, 1891. His remains were returned to his native region, and he was interred in Salisbury Cemetery in Salisbury, Connecticut, thus closing a life that had begun and ended in the same New England community, but that had encompassed significant contributions to industry, local government, and national legislative service.