Chauncey Nye facts for kids

Chauncey Nye (1823–1900) was an early settler, also known as a pioneer, in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is most famous for being the first person to write and share a story about Crater Lake.

Life Story

Chauncey Nye was born in Michigan in 1823. In 1849 or 1850, he traveled with his brother, Nathan B. Nye, to California. They went to a place called Logtown (now El Dorado) during the time of the California Gold Rush. This was a period when many people moved to California hoping to find gold.

By 1860, Chauncey Nye was living in Jackson County, Oregon. He was 37 years old at the time.

Discovering Crater Lake

Chauncey Nye is well-known for being the first person to publish an article about Crater Lake. In 1862, he and a group of gold seekers found the lake. Nye wrote that the water was a "deeply blue color." Because of this, they decided to call it "Blue Lake."

Settling Down

By 1870, Chauncey Nye had stopped looking for gold. He started a farm with his wife, Amarantha. She was born around 1834. They lived for at least 30 years in a place called Flounce Rock in Jackson County, Oregon. They had three children: Etta (born 1867), Nelson (born 1871), and Elsie Amarantha (born 1879).

In 1882, Chauncey finished the process of claiming his land through the Homestead Acts. This was a law that allowed people to get land from the government if they lived on it and improved it.

Chauncey Nye is buried next to his wife at Nye Cemetery in Jackson County.

Things Named After Him

Two places are named after Chauncey Nye: Nye Spring and Nye Ditch.