Alexander Smith (New York)
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Alexander Smith (October 14, 1818 – November 5, 1878) was a
Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...
, businessman and political figure who founded the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company and won election to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
but died hours after being informed of his victory.


Biography

Alexander Smith was born in Mercer County, New Jersey, on October 14, 1818. He was raised on his family's farm, educated in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and moved with his family to West Farms, New York, in 1834. Smith became interested in manufacturing, and in 1844 established a shop in West Farms for making looms and carpets. The shop caught fire and was rebuilt, and after a second fire in 1864 Smith reestablished his business in Yonkers. His business prospered, especially after he invented a loom suitable for weaving fine carpets, which other carpet makers used under licensing agreements with Smith, and his two factories eventually employed more than 3,000 people. A
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, in 1878 he was the party's nominee for Congress in New York's 12th District. He became ill on election day, and died just a few hours after being informed that he had won. Smith died in Yonkers on November 5, 1878. He was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers. His company continued to operate, and through successive mergers eventually moved to
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
as part of
Mohawk Industries Mohawk Industries is an American flooring manufacturer based in Calhoun, Georgia, United States. Mohawk produces floor covering products for residential and commercial applications in North America and residential applications in Europe. The com ...
. The
Alexander Smith Carpet Mills Historic District The Alexander Smith Carpet Mills Historic District is a national historic district located at Yonkers, Westchester County, New York. It includes 85 contributing buildings. It encompasses 19 stylistically varied mill buildings and six rows of wor ...
in Yonkers was established in 1983, and contains many of the buildings that made up the factory and offices before the company moved out of New York.Westchester County Historical Society
Historic Properties Listing: Alexander Smith Carpet Mills Historic District
, retrieved December 14, 2013


See also

* List of members-elect of the United States House of Representatives who never took their seats


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Alexander 1818 births 1878 deaths 19th-century American inventors 19th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from New York (state) Elected officials who died without taking their seats New York (state) Republicans People from Mercer County, New Jersey Politicians from Yonkers, New York