Apr-19-25
 | | NewspaperChessArchiv: My apologies for not being capable of absolute verification of the name, now. After hours of searching the only name similar that comes up across several states is "John Fox" and one instance of "John P. Fox". He was former champion of Buffalo, New York then appears in Pittsburgh chess circle for a bit, but under "J. P. Fox." There may be more than one "J. Fox" in the Northeastern USA region. Comparing with geneaology db, I cannot verify it beyond doubt, but J. P. Fox have been born April 06, 1888. |
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Apr-20-25
 | | jnpope: I've got a suspect that matches up with the known timeline of the chess playing "J. P. Fox": I've got a John P. Fox living in Buffalo in 1905. Married to Ada Fox. The New York census indicates he was born in "England" and he's a Mechanical Engineer. In 1910 John P. Fox and Ada are living in Pittsburgh. 1910 census gives his occupation as Mechanical Engineer working in the steel industry. His place of birth is given as "Pacific Is. English New Zealand" with his mother and father given as being born in England. He and Ada turn up in Gary, Indiana in 1918. He's still a Mechanical Engineer, and his full name is given as "John Phillips Fox" in the city directory. The naturalization card for John Phillips Fox, born in New Zealand, indicates he was born Sept. 1, 1875 and naturalized on Sept. 13, 1923. However his WWI draft card gives his date of birth as June 1st 1875. Ada dies May 24, 1928.
Family tree gives his DOB as 1 Sep 1875 Wellington, New Zealand and DOD as 25 Nov 1937 Los Griegos, Bernalillo, New Mexico, USA. |
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Apr-20-25
| | jnpope: There was a chess playing John P. Fox (whom I believe to be John Patrick Fox, newspaper man) that was living in St. Louis, MO, and was a member of the West End Chess Club, but I don't see any mention of him ever living in Buffalo or Pittsburgh. |
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Apr-20-25
| | jnpope: John Phillips Fox was apparently a traffic expert and was brought in from Buffalo to assist in solving Pittsburgh's congestion problems in June 1909. The <Pittsburgh Gazette>, 1909.12.03, p3, reports that "Mr. Fox will become for a time a regular city employe [sic] or official." Apparently there was a salary dispute which ended the arrangement (see <Pittsburg Press>, 1911.08.16, p18). In 1912 he's in Sedgwick, Maine: "John P. Fox is a traction expert and consulting engineer employed by the Chamber of Commerce. He came here from Pittsburg, Pa., where he was last occupied." (<Lewiston Evening Journal>, 1912.01.09, p8). |
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Apr-20-25
| | jnpope: The <Denver Evening Post>, 1898.04.04, p7, reports that "J. P. Fox" won 3½, lost 4 in the first round of the championship tournament of the Denver Chess, Checker and Whist club. I have no further information regarding this J. P. Fox (a mystery for another day). |
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Apr-20-25
| | jnpope: Added the photo from the <Pittsburgh Gazette Times>, 1911.09.03, Third Section, p6. The caption reads:
"Our portrait this week is of a strong local player who will enter the coming championship tournament in Class A. He was formerly a resident of Buffalo, N. Y., and held the championship of that city." |
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Apr-20-25
| | jnpope: J. P. Fox ended up not competing in that tournament (the participants were Spencer, Dolde, Murdoch, Woodward, Gardner, and Erdeky). This is compelling evidence that John P. Fox was indeed John Phillips Fox, who, due to a pay dispute, ended up leaving Pittsburgh prior to the start of the tournament (which began October 30, 1911). |
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Apr-20-25
 | | offramp: His pilgrimage of life began in New Zealand🇳🇿 and ended in New Mexico🏜️. It would have been better for everyone if his life had started in Zealand (DK🇩🇰) and ended in Mexico‧₊˚ 🇲🇽🌮🌶️ ‧₊. |
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Kibitzing
