Founder of D Goff and Sons of Pawtucket, one of the leading textile manufacturers in the country.
State Senator
Benefactor of Goff Library in Rehoboth.
"not only a wise and progressive manufacturer but an honored citizen"
DARIUS GOFF, manufacturer, Pawtucket, R. I., who died there April 14, 1891,
belonged to a family which has operated textile mills since Richard Goff, the father of Darius, started one in 1790. The subject of this memoir was born in Rehoboth, Mass., May 10, 1809, and was trained in his father's fulling and cloth dressing factory. When the shop closed its doors in 1821, because machinery had superseded hand processes, the young man found work in a woolen mill in Fall River and a year later in a grocery store there. In 1836, with his brother, Nelson, he bought the small Union cotton mill in Rehoboth, and began the manufacture of cotton batting and glazed and colored wadding. Mr. Goff also dealt largely in cotton waste and took all the refuse material of the Lonsdale mills for fifty-five years, dealing also in waste paper stock. In 1847, Mr. Goff settled in Pawtucket and with a partner started The Union Wadding Co., whose factory was burned down in 1857 but promptly rebuilt on a larger scale. In 1859, Mr. Goff became sole owner of the mill, but, with new partners, went on to develop the paper stock and wadding business, and during the Civil War made large profits. The Union Wadding Co. incorporated in 1880, Darius Goff, president; his son, Lyman B. Goff, treasurer. The works now cover four acres of ground and operate branch factories in Augusta, Ga., and Montreal, Canada. In 1861, Mr. Goff began the manufacture of worsted braid, with Darius L. Goff, his son, as a partner, under the name of D. Goff& Son. The tariff of 1867 saved this venture from failure. Lyman B. Goff became a partner in 1872. The sale of braid in rolls originated with this con cern in 1877. About 1882, Mr. Goff also undertook the making of mohair plushes and made this industry also a success. He was at different times a director of The Franklin Savings Bank, The First National Bank, The Pawtucket Street Railroad, The Pawtucket Hair Cloth Co., The Pawtucket Gas. Co. and The Royal Weaving Co. His energy and sound management helped break the foreign monopoly of the American market, and he is remembered as an indefatigable, honest, progressive man. He was once State Senator and always a Republican and a Congregationalist. Mr. Goff was twice married; first in 1839 to Sarah, and after her death to her sister, Harriet, daughters of Israel Lee, of Dighton, Mass. His first child died, but three survive, children of Harriet, Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff, who have succeeded their father in business, and Mrs. Thomas S. Steele, of Hartford, Conn.
State Senator
Benefactor of Goff Library in Rehoboth.
"not only a wise and progressive manufacturer but an honored citizen"
DARIUS GOFF, manufacturer, Pawtucket, R. I., who died there April 14, 1891,
belonged to a family which has operated textile mills since Richard Goff, the father of Darius, started one in 1790. The subject of this memoir was born in Rehoboth, Mass., May 10, 1809, and was trained in his father's fulling and cloth dressing factory. When the shop closed its doors in 1821, because machinery had superseded hand processes, the young man found work in a woolen mill in Fall River and a year later in a grocery store there. In 1836, with his brother, Nelson, he bought the small Union cotton mill in Rehoboth, and began the manufacture of cotton batting and glazed and colored wadding. Mr. Goff also dealt largely in cotton waste and took all the refuse material of the Lonsdale mills for fifty-five years, dealing also in waste paper stock. In 1847, Mr. Goff settled in Pawtucket and with a partner started The Union Wadding Co., whose factory was burned down in 1857 but promptly rebuilt on a larger scale. In 1859, Mr. Goff became sole owner of the mill, but, with new partners, went on to develop the paper stock and wadding business, and during the Civil War made large profits. The Union Wadding Co. incorporated in 1880, Darius Goff, president; his son, Lyman B. Goff, treasurer. The works now cover four acres of ground and operate branch factories in Augusta, Ga., and Montreal, Canada. In 1861, Mr. Goff began the manufacture of worsted braid, with Darius L. Goff, his son, as a partner, under the name of D. Goff& Son. The tariff of 1867 saved this venture from failure. Lyman B. Goff became a partner in 1872. The sale of braid in rolls originated with this con cern in 1877. About 1882, Mr. Goff also undertook the making of mohair plushes and made this industry also a success. He was at different times a director of The Franklin Savings Bank, The First National Bank, The Pawtucket Street Railroad, The Pawtucket Hair Cloth Co., The Pawtucket Gas. Co. and The Royal Weaving Co. His energy and sound management helped break the foreign monopoly of the American market, and he is remembered as an indefatigable, honest, progressive man. He was once State Senator and always a Republican and a Congregationalist. Mr. Goff was twice married; first in 1839 to Sarah, and after her death to her sister, Harriet, daughters of Israel Lee, of Dighton, Mass. His first child died, but three survive, children of Harriet, Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff, who have succeeded their father in business, and Mrs. Thomas S. Steele, of Hartford, Conn.
Founder of D Goff and Sons of Pawtucket, one of the leading textile manufacturers in the country.
State Senator
Benefactor of Goff Library in Rehoboth.
"not only a wise and progressive manufacturer but an honored citizen"
DARIUS GOFF, manufacturer, Pawtucket, R. I., who died there April 14, 1891,
belonged to a family which has operated textile mills since Richard Goff, the father of Darius, started one in 1790. The subject of this memoir was born in Rehoboth, Mass., May 10, 1809, and was trained in his father's fulling and cloth dressing factory. When the shop closed its doors in 1821, because machinery had superseded hand processes, the young man found work in a woolen mill in Fall River and a year later in a grocery store there. In 1836, with his brother, Nelson, he bought the small Union cotton mill in Rehoboth, and began the manufacture of cotton batting and glazed and colored wadding. Mr. Goff also dealt largely in cotton waste and took all the refuse material of the Lonsdale mills for fifty-five years, dealing also in waste paper stock. In 1847, Mr. Goff settled in Pawtucket and with a partner started The Union Wadding Co., whose factory was burned down in 1857 but promptly rebuilt on a larger scale. In 1859, Mr. Goff became sole owner of the mill, but, with new partners, went on to develop the paper stock and wadding business, and during the Civil War made large profits. The Union Wadding Co. incorporated in 1880, Darius Goff, president; his son, Lyman B. Goff, treasurer. The works now cover four acres of ground and operate branch factories in Augusta, Ga., and Montreal, Canada. In 1861, Mr. Goff began the manufacture of worsted braid, with Darius L. Goff, his son, as a partner, under the name of D. Goff& Son. The tariff of 1867 saved this venture from failure. Lyman B. Goff became a partner in 1872. The sale of braid in rolls originated with this con cern in 1877. About 1882, Mr. Goff also undertook the making of mohair plushes and made this industry also a success. He was at different times a director of The Franklin Savings Bank, The First National Bank, The Pawtucket Street Railroad, The Pawtucket Hair Cloth Co., The Pawtucket Gas. Co. and The Royal Weaving Co. His energy and sound management helped break the foreign monopoly of the American market, and he is remembered as an indefatigable, honest, progressive man. He was once State Senator and always a Republican and a Congregationalist. Mr. Goff was twice married; first in 1839 to Sarah, and after her death to her sister, Harriet, daughters of Israel Lee, of Dighton, Mass. His first child died, but three survive, children of Harriet, Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff, who have succeeded their father in business, and Mrs. Thomas S. Steele, of Hartford, Conn.
State Senator
Benefactor of Goff Library in Rehoboth.
"not only a wise and progressive manufacturer but an honored citizen"
DARIUS GOFF, manufacturer, Pawtucket, R. I., who died there April 14, 1891,
belonged to a family which has operated textile mills since Richard Goff, the father of Darius, started one in 1790. The subject of this memoir was born in Rehoboth, Mass., May 10, 1809, and was trained in his father's fulling and cloth dressing factory. When the shop closed its doors in 1821, because machinery had superseded hand processes, the young man found work in a woolen mill in Fall River and a year later in a grocery store there. In 1836, with his brother, Nelson, he bought the small Union cotton mill in Rehoboth, and began the manufacture of cotton batting and glazed and colored wadding. Mr. Goff also dealt largely in cotton waste and took all the refuse material of the Lonsdale mills for fifty-five years, dealing also in waste paper stock. In 1847, Mr. Goff settled in Pawtucket and with a partner started The Union Wadding Co., whose factory was burned down in 1857 but promptly rebuilt on a larger scale. In 1859, Mr. Goff became sole owner of the mill, but, with new partners, went on to develop the paper stock and wadding business, and during the Civil War made large profits. The Union Wadding Co. incorporated in 1880, Darius Goff, president; his son, Lyman B. Goff, treasurer. The works now cover four acres of ground and operate branch factories in Augusta, Ga., and Montreal, Canada. In 1861, Mr. Goff began the manufacture of worsted braid, with Darius L. Goff, his son, as a partner, under the name of D. Goff& Son. The tariff of 1867 saved this venture from failure. Lyman B. Goff became a partner in 1872. The sale of braid in rolls originated with this con cern in 1877. About 1882, Mr. Goff also undertook the making of mohair plushes and made this industry also a success. He was at different times a director of The Franklin Savings Bank, The First National Bank, The Pawtucket Street Railroad, The Pawtucket Hair Cloth Co., The Pawtucket Gas. Co. and The Royal Weaving Co. His energy and sound management helped break the foreign monopoly of the American market, and he is remembered as an indefatigable, honest, progressive man. He was once State Senator and always a Republican and a Congregationalist. Mr. Goff was twice married; first in 1839 to Sarah, and after her death to her sister, Harriet, daughters of Israel Lee, of Dighton, Mass. His first child died, but three survive, children of Harriet, Darius L. and Lyman B. Goff, who have succeeded their father in business, and Mrs. Thomas S. Steele, of Hartford, Conn.
