Daniel Day
Encyclopedia
Daniel Day was an American
pioneer in woolen manufacturing.
in America, Robert Taft, Sr.
, who had settled in the western section of Mendon in 1679.
, the Daniel Day Mill. He built a dam along the West River (Massachusetts)
and near the dam he built the woolen carding mill. Pliny Earle I, had developed carding machines at Leicester, Massachusetts
, near Worcester, as early as the 1780s. Daniel Day's wool carding mill was only the second mill established in the historic Blackstone River Valley, considered a major contributor to the Industrial Revolution
in the U.S.
'Elmdale' near Wheelockville, was the site of the Daniel Day Mill, the first textile mill in Uxbridge, the first woolen mill in the valley(1809), the second oldest woolen mill in Massachusetts, (after one in Watertown, MA), the third textile mill in the state, and third oldest woolen mill in U.S. (after a worsted mill in Hartford). This system of mills, dams and villages was developed by John and Samuel Slater
, and became known as the Rhode Island System. There was only one other mill, a cotton mill, that was established in Uxbridge that year, which was the Clapp Mill on the Mumford River
. His son Joseph, born in 1790, joined the business, along with Jerry Wheelock
. Quickly a loom was added to the carding machine works by 1811, and they later greatly enlarged the mill by 1825.
One of Daniel Day's children, his daughter, married Luke Taft
, who started another famous Mill in Uxbridge, The Luke Taft Mill, later known as the Waucantuck Mill. Luke Taft was a descendant of the famous American Taft family which had its roots in Mendon and Uxbridge. Daniel Day was also an ancestor of a branch of the Wheelock family which established an early factory in this same community which continues in business in the 21st Century, as Berroco, Inc.
, at the age of 81. This is from page 369 of Uxbridge Vital Records thru 1850. His wife Sylvia Day died in 1842 at the age of 77. His son Peter died in 1815, at age 23.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pioneer in woolen manufacturing.
Family
Daniel Day was born in Mendon, MA and was the son of Joseph Day and Deborah Taft. He married Sylvia Wheelock, and they had two sons and two daughters, both born in Mendon up until 1800, (according to the Mendon vital records). He was a 4th generation descendant of the original Taft familyTaft family
The Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
in America, Robert Taft, Sr.
Robert Taft, Sr.
Robert Taft, Sr., also known as Robert Taft, or Robert Taft I , was the first American Taft and founder of the American Taft Family...
, who had settled in the western section of Mendon in 1679.
Career and history
At the age of 43, Daniel Day established one of the oldest woolen mills in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Daniel Day Mill. He built a dam along the West River (Massachusetts)
West River (Massachusetts)
The West River, in the US state of Massachusetts, is a tributary of the Blackstone River.-Course:It originates in the towns of Grafton and Upton, Massachusetts, near the Upton State Forest, at Silver Lake and Cider Mill Pond in Grafton, and crosses into the eastern portion of Northbridge, passes...
and near the dam he built the woolen carding mill. Pliny Earle I, had developed carding machines at Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,970 at the 2010 census.-History:Leicester was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1714....
, near Worcester, as early as the 1780s. Daniel Day's wool carding mill was only the second mill established in the historic Blackstone River Valley, considered a major contributor to the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the U.S.
'Elmdale' near Wheelockville, was the site of the Daniel Day Mill, the first textile mill in Uxbridge, the first woolen mill in the valley(1809), the second oldest woolen mill in Massachusetts, (after one in Watertown, MA), the third textile mill in the state, and third oldest woolen mill in U.S. (after a worsted mill in Hartford). This system of mills, dams and villages was developed by John and Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater was an early English-American industrialist known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution", or the "Father of the American Factory System" because he brought British textile technology to America. He learned textile machinery as an apprentice to a pioneer in the British...
, and became known as the Rhode Island System. There was only one other mill, a cotton mill, that was established in Uxbridge that year, which was the Clapp Mill on the Mumford River
Mumford River
The Mumford River is an river in south-central Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Blackstone River.The river rises from its headwaters in Sutton and Douglas at Manchaug Pond and flows east in a meandering path through a series of ponds , and joins the Blackstone River in Uxbridge.The river...
. His son Joseph, born in 1790, joined the business, along with Jerry Wheelock
Jerry Wheelock
Jerry Wheelock was an early industrial pioneer in the Blackstone Valley of Massachusetts, a region that incubated the early American industrial revolution.-Family:...
. Quickly a loom was added to the carding machine works by 1811, and they later greatly enlarged the mill by 1825.
One of Daniel Day's children, his daughter, married Luke Taft
Luke Taft
Luke Taft was an industrial pioneer in the manufacture of woolens in 19th century New England.-Family:...
, who started another famous Mill in Uxbridge, The Luke Taft Mill, later known as the Waucantuck Mill. Luke Taft was a descendant of the famous American Taft family which had its roots in Mendon and Uxbridge. Daniel Day was also an ancestor of a branch of the Wheelock family which established an early factory in this same community which continues in business in the 21st Century, as Berroco, Inc.
Death and afterwards
The death of Daniel Day is recorded in the Uxbridge Vital Records. It also contains clues about one of his children, and he is listed as a widower, who died on October 26, 1848, of Consumption or TuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, at the age of 81. This is from page 369 of Uxbridge Vital Records thru 1850. His wife Sylvia Day died in 1842 at the age of 77. His son Peter died in 1815, at age 23.