John Sanford (June 3, 1803 – October 4, 1857) was an American businessman and politician who served one term as a
U.S. Representative
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 c ...
from New York from 1841 to 1843.
Biography
Early life
John Sanford was born in
Roxbury, Connecticut
Roxbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,260 at the 2020 census. The town is located northeast of New York City.
History
Roxbury, whose Native name was ''Shepaug'', a Mahican word signifying "roc ...
. He was the second son of Sarah Curtis (1771–1856) and her husband Stephen Sandford I (1769–1848). His brother was
Nehemiah Curtis Sanford, who was the father of
Henry Shelton Sanford
Henry Shelton Sanford (June 15, 1823 – May 21, 1891) was a wealthy American diplomat and businessman from Connecticut who served as United States Minister to Belgium from 1861 to 1869. He is also known for founding the city of Sanford, Flori ...
, the diplomat who founded the city of
Sanford, Florida.
Career
He moved to
Amsterdam, New York
Amsterdam is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The City of Amste ...
, in 1821 where he taught school. He later taught in Mayfield and also engaged in mercantile pursuits there. He was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
Twenty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843). He returned to Amsterdam and founded a
carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...
mill but the factory was destroyed by fire in 1854, whereupon he retired from active business.
Personal life
In 1822, he married Amsterdam native Mary Slack (1803–1888). They had three daughters and three sons:
*Sarah Caroline (1824–1871)
*
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
(1826–1913)
*Nelson (1828–1848)
*David (1830–1885)
*Aledah (born 1833)
*Harriette (born 1836)
Death
He died in Amsterdam in 1857 and was interred there in the Green Hill Cemetery.
Family
His son Stephen served in Congress and operated the family carpet business, as did his grandson
John Sanford II. Originally Sanford Carpet, the company merged with another manufacturer to become
Bigelow-Sanford. Bigelow-Sanford later became 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 ...
, a maker of carpet and other flooring.
Sources
References
Schenectady Digital History Archive — a service of the Schenectady County Public Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanford, John
1803 births
1857 deaths
19th-century American businesspeople
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
19th-century American politicians