Benjamin E. Bates

Benjamin Edward Bates IV (; July 12, 1808 – January 14, 1878) was an American rail industrialist, textile tycoon and philanthropist. He was the wealthiest person in Maine from 1850 to 1878.

Bates was born to a large family in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He moved to Bristol, Maine, for a working residency at B. T. Loring Company before he created the Davis, Bates & Turner, a craft goods and service firm in the early 1830s. After entering the textile business, he created the Bates Manufacturing Company in Lewiston, Maine, building its first mill in 1850. His company quickly became the largest employer per capita in Maine and the largest in Lewiston for three decades. As the dominant force in the already-extant Lewiston Water Power Company, he also oversaw the creation of the first canal in the city.

At the start of the American Civil War, Bates correctly anticipated that the talk of secession in the Southern States would lead to a shortage of cotton. By buying up a large amount of cotton prior to the Battle of Fort Sumter, he was able to outproduce his business rivals, which led to the rapid growth of the Bates Manufacturing Company and the city of Lewiston.

Early life and education

Benjamin Edward Bates IV, was born in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on July 12, 1808, to Hannah Copeland and Elkanah Bates as their third child (of seven). His father, Elkanah Bates, was a cotton manufacturer and prominent merchant. Both of his parents were religious and belonged to the Congregational Church of Mansfield. In 1838, there was a denominational split within the church to create a Unitarian theologian association that questioned the divinity of Christ, and Elkanah Bates was picked to lead the movement. His paternal grandfather fought in the American Revolution as a captain and later became a brigadier general for the Massachusetts state militia. He is the great-great-grandson of Benjamin Bates II, Commander of the Devonshire Forces, and member of the Hell Fire Club. When Bates was a younger boy, his brother recounted him being dragged by two horses across a "considerable distance," which left him badly cut and bruised. He pulled the horses down and eventually halted their movement, a commendable task considering Bates was only 14 years old at the time.

Bates attended various private schools and enrolled at the age of 15 to the Wrentham Academy, where he studied from 1823 to 1825. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1829, at the age of 21. Bates entered the dry goods business with Barnabas T. Loring on Washington Street. At age 24, he made a public profession of Christian faith, and he was a lifelong Congregationalist and temperance supporter. Bates taught Sunday school at several churches in Boston, including Park Street Church, and was later an active member of Central Congregational Church, in Boston.

Business pursuits

B. T. Loring & Co.

John G. Davis met Benjamin Bates in the early 1830s, and they later became business partners. They met while Bates was a clerk for Barnabas T. Loring on Washington Street after a mutual friend had offered "a firm with respected work." At the time, Bates' net worth was at $700, which was considered lower-middle class. The firm subsequently organized as the B. T. Loring Company. The firm's market expanded widely throughout Maine and went on to depart from retail and focus on whole sale, which was made possible by the connections the Bates had made throughout his career in Bristol, Maine. One year later, they moved "downtown" from Washington Street to Central Street and continued operations. Barnabas T. Loring died, which prompted the group to dissolve B. T. Loring & Co., and create Davis, Bates, & Turner.

Davis, Bates & Turner

With the conclusion of B. T. Loring & Co., Bates co-founded the firm of Davis & Bates, which existed from 1833 to 1847. The firm enjoyed financial success as its previous deals had garnered high standing among the mercantile community of Maine. With the firm on stable footing, John N. Turner developed an interest and discussed furthered involvement. As a mutual friend of Bates, and with his background in law, he was tasked with bookkeeping and legal relations. The firm amassed tens of thousands of dollars within years, and the firm continued to grow. Turner was officially brought in on February 13, 1833, and the firm was officially renamed Davis, Bates & Turner.

Financial panic of 1837

In 1837, the firm experienced low levels of revenue and output because of the external effects of panics involving financial security and credit in New York City. Considered the "greatest financial panic the country has ever seen," the Panic of 1837 caused numerous firms all over New England to fail, and Davis, Bates & Turner often had trouble assessing market value and withdrawing loans from the banks. The firm remained active and even put up positive net return on some years during the panic because of its good credit and lack of debt. The overall speculative markets involving whole sale goods caused Bates's firm to remain cautious when it sold and took out loans for restructuring. News from New York was delivered to Maine that stated further banking regulation and overall stabilization of market prices, which brought the state out of a recessive period into a sustained growth. The news was received by Bates personally when George Bond declared that loans would be issued by the New York Banks once again.

During the recovery consultations between Maine and Massachusetts business leaders, a prominent banker, Homer Bartlett, was quoted as famously saying,

Who was the strongest man in that meeting eferring to the financial panics

To which the crowd overwhelmingly replied,

Bates! Bates was the strongest man there.

The quote would go on to largely shape Bates's minor celebrity status and fed the growing reputation of producing the best results in times of uncertainty. The crowd included Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward, Alexander De Witt, Francis Skinner, Homer Bartlett, and St. John Smith. In 1840, the firm moved to Water Street and five years later to Milk Street, where Davis withdrew from the firm for poor health.

Bates, Turner & Co. and Union Pacific

Siles Bascom replaced Davis, and the firm was renamed Bates, Turner & Co. The firm enjoyed financial success and began to conclude its practice with the closing of markets in March 1847. After the dissolution of the firm, Bates served as president and on the board of several banking, manufacturing, and railroad corporations, including First National Bank of Commerce in Boston. His activities during the Panic of 1873 caused him to be asked to be the founding successor president of the Union Pacific Railroad on August 1, 1849. He served in that capacity until May 3, 1850, when Alexander De Witt spoke to him about opportunities in Lewiston, Maine, and prompted his immediate resignation.

Life in Lewiston

Bates travelled to Lewiston regularly while he lived in Boston and other Maine towns to "interact with the people, give guidance to the businesses, and support its economy." After the closing of Bates, Turner & Co. and a quick stint as president of the Union Pacific Railroad, he moved to Lewiston, Maine, upon the advisement of his close friend and confidant Alexander De Witt, who went on describe Lewiston as a "city full of hope and innovation." He was escorted to the town secretly with De Witt to meet with the city council and the mayor to discuss major developments in the town.

Bates Manufacturing Company

Bates quickly began developing companies, acquired smaller ones under his Manufacturing Company, and subsequently brought in $16 million in revenue for the town, the largest circulation of currency in the history of Lewiston at the time. His businesses provided employment for thousands of people from Maine and Canada, which made him the single largest employer in the city and the largest per capita of Maine. His businesses garnered millions of dollars for the city, and with all assets accounted for in Maine and Massachusetts, he was considered the wealthiest man in Maine via his net worth.

His principal accomplishment during his early business career was the establishment of Bates Manufacturing Company. The company went on to be the largest manufacturing company in the state of Maine and provided two thirds of all textile output for the state. It employed approximately five thousand people from Canadian and Irish descent. He served as the president of the company from its founding on January 3, 1850, until he appointed a successor to overtake the company as he left for Lewiston on February 20, 1862.

Lewiston Water Power Company

One of the primary goals of other business leaders in Maine and Bates was to improve the water quality of Lewiston. Bates went on to found the Lewiston Water Power Company, which built the first canal in the city. It employed hundreds of people and established the town as a "paragon of water quality." During that development, Lewiston was the fastest growing city in Maine in terms of growth rate.

Bates Mill

The Bates Mill was a textile factory company that was founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. Much of the capital generated from the mill was used in the foundation of Bates College. Since its conception, Bates's practices with the mill dominated the mill industry and was one of the first great US business trusts. He initially gained wealth and influence from manufacturing textiles and estate development with correspondence to the mills. His mills extended from the Androscoggin River to northern Lewiston. On August 16, 1850, Maine Governor John Hubbard signed the incorporation act, and the mill was completed in1852. Bates positioned the mill in Lewiston since the location of the Lewiston Falls provided the mill with power. Under Bates' supervision, during the Civil War, the mill produced textiles to the Union Army. His mills generated employment for thousands of Canadians and immigrants from Europe. The mill was Maine's largest employer for three decades.

Later life and wealth

Economic panic of 1873

Bates pledged another $100,000 to be paid to the Maine State Seminary after his death, but the economic recession in the 1870s, known as the Panic of 1873, caused Bates's Lewiston assets to be lessened. During this financial crisis, many of his properties lessened in value, and he was forced to refinance. The dependence of Lewiston on Bates caused many citizens to suffer financially in his personal losses. After the stabilization of his properties and business contracts, he began a further expansion into Lewiston's economic environment and regained considerable wealth. He built Bates Mill No. 5, which became his fastest growing mill within years, and provided the city with substantial employment.

Wealth

By his death in 1878, Bates had amassed a total net worth of approximately $79.4 million (worth $1.84 billion in 2017). That includes assets held in Maine, New York, and Massachusetts that encompassed the non-operational value of B. T. Loring & Co., Bates, Turner & Co., his holding company the Bates Manufacturing Company, his stake in the Lewiston Water Company, Bates Mill, and miscellaneous banking endeavors in New York. He donated a total of $100,000 to the endowment and approximately $250,000 to Bates College indirectly and left a trust of $3.3 million to his family. In his will, he pledged $50,000 to his wife, Sarah Gilbert along with his $2.8 million estate, $10,000 to his brother William, $10,000 to his brother Elkanah Bates II, $10,000 equally divided among the children of his sister, Charlotte, $10,000 to Edward Atkinson, and $10,000 to George Fabian. He left each of his children, Benjamin Edward V, Lilian, Sarah, and Author $250,000 in the form of a trust.

However, Bates had $200,000 in outstanding debt and a pledged $100,000 to Bates College after his death. His family was required to expend the $100,000 pledged, but conditions placed on the inheritances restricted distribution, and familial debt caused the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts to rule eventually that Bates's heirs did not have to pay Bates College the pledged $100,000. After a period of recession, he college began financially recuperating to a larger endowment independently. Over the next couple of years, Bates College's endowment grew slowly and steadily.

Philanthropy

Bates was the largest of the early donors to the Maine State Seminary through the Lewiston Power Company. He was known by the people of Lewiston for having a "deep and profound love" for the town and Bates College, with its early founder mentioning his affection by noting: "I have frequently heard him say that he would not knowingly do anything against the interests of the people; and that he would sooner invest ten dollars in Lewiston than one dollar in any other place. 'I love Lewiston', 'I love the College', he was accustomed to say, 'Say to the Trustees that I love the College.'"In 1852, he personally pledged another $6,000 to the school. In 1853, Oren Burbank Cheney appointed him as a Trustee of the College and in 1854 became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the college for his considerable donations. He went onto donate $25,000 for the foundation of an agriculture department and moved a subscription of $75,000 for campus expansion. On February 21, 1873, he donated $100,000 on the condition that the amount was met by third-party donors within five years. He placed conditions on his donations but realized the donations regardless of the conditions being met. The college remained a source of worry for Bates as much of the subscriptions to the college remained unfilled, and donors were giving half of their donations and not fulfilling the other half, which left the endowment of the college in a speculative state. Bates served as the treasurer for the college in the early days and condemned the business strategy that Cheney developed when he interacted with potential donors. Bates advocated for a more aggressive procedure for funding.

Bates's work with the college prompted fellow business magnate, Andrew Carnegie, to donate a considerable amount to the formation of the college and subsequently had the college's science building named after him. Bates played an integral role in the expansion of the college by moving from town to town and state to state spreading the institution's name. As a result, Bates brought in tens of thousands of dollars from the political elite and wealthy, who donated more on a favor to Bates than love of the college, as Bates had, to that point, graduated few alumni who went on to amass wealth.

By his death in 1878, Bates's donations to the college had totaled over $100,000, and overall contributions valued at US$250,000 (worth US$6.2 million in March 2017 dollars).
On March 16, 1864, the founder of the Maine State Seminary, Oren Burbank Cheney, renamed his institution of higher learning, "Bates College," in honor of Bates. However, when hearing that the college was renamed after him, he expressed his disappointment. He thought that he was not worthy of a college of "uchinception and history" and later noted his guilt for raising money for the college because donors might have thought that he was raising money for himself.

Death and legacy

Benjamin Bates died on January 14, 1878, at age 69, in Boston, Massachusetts. His body was entombed at the Mount Auburn Cemetery on Fir Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, two days later.

Bates Street, West Bates Street, and East Bates Street in Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, respectively, are named in his honor.

His death was attended by Lewiston, Boston, and New York City elite, and the mayors of numerous cities gave speeches on his life. His funeral was held in the Lewiston City Hall, and clergymen gave speeches on his commitment to the college and God.

He was survived by his wife, Sarah Chapman Gilbert (his second wife and daughter of Joseph Gilbert, niece of Abijah Gilbert), who lived from 1832 to 1882 and his four children:
* Josephine Bates Hammond (1839–1886)
* Benjamin Edward Bates V (1863–1906)
* Sarah Frances Bates Herschel (1867–1937)
* Lillian Gilbert Bates (1872–1951)
Bates College's inaugural president, Oren Burbank Cheney, said the following of Bates in delivering his eulogy:

Bates wanted labor for our laborers, education for our children, places of worship for our worshipers, light for our streets, water for our houses, and a hospital for our sick and our dying. I have heard the man atesspeak of his love for Lewiston, and his love for the college. While in Lewiston, our desires were his desires: our interests were his interests: and our affairs his affairs...

References

Citations

Extended notes

#Oren Cheney
"Eulogy on the Life of Benjamin Edward Bates,"
''Bates Student'', June 1878, 131–149, (Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College) (part 2).

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Benjamin E.
1808 births
1878 deaths
Philanthropists from Maine
Bates College people
University and college founders
People from Mansfield, Massachusetts
People from Lewiston, Maine
People of Maine in the American Civil War
American Civil War industrialists
American Congregationalists
American chief executives
American bankers
American financiers
Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Temperance activists from Maine
People from Bristol, Maine
19th-century American philanthropists