Moses Taft facts for kids
Moses Taft 2nd (born January 16, 1812 – died April 2, 1893) was an important person in early American industry. He was a successful businessman and banker in the historic Blackstone River Valley area. Moses was also a member of the famous Taft family.
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Moses Taft's Family Life
Moses Taft was the second child of Luke Taft and Nancy Wood Taft. He married Sylvia Ann Wheelock on April 27, 1834, in Uxbridge. Later, on January 12, 1858, he married Emeline Newell Taft (Wing) in Uxbridge.
Early Life and Business Career
Moses Taft 2nd grew up in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. His father, Luke Taft, was one of the first people to build a mill in Uxbridge that made woolen cloth. The Blackstone River Valley is known as the very first industrial area in the United States.
Moses Taft was born on January 16, 1812, in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He went to local schools, the Uxbridge Academy, and a Friends school in Bolton. This education helped him learn about making fabrics like "satinets."
He worked in manufacturing for many years. Sometimes he worked by himself, and other times with partners. He worked with Samuel W. Scott in Burrillville, Rhode Island. Later, he partnered with James W. Day, and their company was called Taft, Day & Company. After Mr. Day left, the company became Taft & Capron.
Moses Taft also had other manufacturing businesses in Caryville, Northborough, and Southborough, Massachusetts. He also had interests in Proctor, Vermont.
Besides his manufacturing work, Mr. Taft was also a successful banker. He was the president of the Blackstone Bank and the Uxbridge Savings Bank.
Public Service and Community Role
Moses Taft also served his community in important ways. He represented Uxbridge in the Massachusetts state legislature in 1847. This meant he helped make laws for the state. He was also often asked to serve on the Board of Selectmen, which is a group of people who manage the town's affairs.
He was a member and officer of the First Congregational Society of Uxbridge. He was also part of the Uxbridge Lodge of the International Order of Odd-fellows, a friendly society. People knew him as a very successful manufacturer and banker. He played a big role in the growth and success of Uxbridge.
His Important Local Industries
Moses Taft was a key industrialist in the Blackstone River Valley. This area was America's first place to become industrialized, meaning it had many factories and mills. Around 1852, Moses Taft built a woolen mill on the Blackstone River in Uxbridge.
This mill was very busy, running all day and night during the American Civil War. Many of the blue uniforms worn by the Union soldiers were made at Moses Taft's Mill in historic Uxbridge.
Moses Taft was a descendant of the famous Taft family in America, which had its beginnings in Uxbridge. By the mid-1850s, the mills in Uxbridge were producing a huge amount of cloth – about 2.5 million yards (2 million square meters) every year!
Some of the earliest improvements in how textiles were made happened in the Uxbridge Mills, including Moses Taft's mill, which was also called the Calumet Mill. Years later, after 1910, this historic mill became known as Wheelock Mill or Stanley Woolen. Today, it is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. It has even been used as a filming location for movies like Oliver's Story and The Great Gatsby.
Death and Legacy
Moses Taft 2nd passed away on April 2, 1893, in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 82 years old. The Moses Taft Mill is now also known as the "Central Woolen Mills District." It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized as an important historical site.
See also
- The Tafts of Mendon and Uxbridge
- Taft family
