Emerson Gaylord
Emerson Gaylord | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date South Hadley, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 24, 1899 (aged 82) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, politician |
| Years active | 1834–1899 |
| Known for | Leather goods manufacturing; Massachusetts state senator (1880–1881) |
Emerson Gaylord (September 2, 1817 – September 24, 1899) was a prominent American entrepreneur and Republican lawmaker who represented his constituency in the Massachusetts General Court during 1880.
Early life
Emerson was born in South Hadley, Massachusetts, to parents Josiah and Lucinda Smith Gaylord. After losing his father at the age of nine, he left formal education by twelve to contribute financially to his household through agricultural labor.
Career
At seventeen, Gaylord began an apprenticeship under Seth Nyms in Amherst to master harness-making. Upon returning to South Hadley, he pursued shoemaking training with George Kilbourn and remained employed by his cousin John Gaylord until 1840. The following year, he started working for the N.P. Ames Company based in Chicopee, initially receiving seven shillings daily and later earning $1.25 monthly. In 1843, although offered supervision of a workshop, he opted instead to contract with Ames for supplying leather goods.
In 1856, he acquired Ames’s leather and accouterments division and commenced production of leather fire hoses and machine belts. That same year, his company received orders for military equipment from the War Department. By 1861, his business was supplying several Southern states including Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Massachusetts placed an order in 1864 for 1,582 cavalry and artillery gear pieces worth $6,101.
By 1875, Gaylord had assumed the presidency of the First National Bank of Chicopee, a role he maintained until his passing. According to the 1890 Chicopee Directory, his positions included:
- President & Director of the First National Bank of Chicopee
- Vice President of Chicopee Savings Bank
- President of Chicopee Water Company
- Chairman of Selectmen (City Council) in 1890
- Director of Maplegrove Cemetery Association
Political office
Gaylord represented Chicopee as the second representative of Hampden County in the Massachusetts state senate for two years (1880–1881).
Personal life
After relocating to Chicopee, he became a member of the Third Congregational Church on Springfield Street. In 1844, he married Jane Burnett from South Hadley; together they had one son named Arthur.
Gaylord Mansion
In 1856, Gaylord purchased property at the intersection of Springfield Street and Fairview Avenue and eventually came to own the entire block by the 1870s. He demolished the original residence to construct what is now referred to as the Gaylord Mansion.
Elms College acquired the mansion in 1962 for $50,000. A fundraising campaign in 1997 secured $100,000 dedicated to restoring its exterior. In 2020, Elms undertook interior renovations to establish classrooms and meeting rooms with dormitory spaces on upper floors, renaming it the "Living-Learning, Community and Cultural Center."