Richard Borden
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Colonel Richard Borden (1795–1874) was an American businessman and civic leader from
Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...
. He co-founded the Fall River Iron Works in 1821, and later built several early cotton mills, as well as the
Fall River Line The Fall River Line was a combination steamboat and railroad connection between New York City and Boston that operated between 1847 and 1937. It consisted of a railroad journey between Boston and Fall River, Massachusetts, where passengers wou ...
, Fall River Gas Works Company, the Fall River Railroad, banks and other businesses. The Borden family would dominate the economic and civic life of Fall River into the early 20th century.


Early life

When the Town of Fall River was established in 1803, the Borden family had been well established in the area for over a century. In 1714, Colonel Richard's ancestor (also named Richard) purchased land along the falls of the
Quequechan River The Quequechan River is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts, that flows in a northwesterly direction from the northwest corner of the South Watuppa Pond through the heart of the city of Fall River and into the end of the Taunton River at ...
from
Benjamin Church Benjamin Church may refer to: * Benjamin Church (physician) (1734–1778), effectively the first Surgeon General of the U.S. Army * Benjamin Church (ranger) (1639–1718), considered the father of the U.S. Army Rangers * Benjamin Church (carpenter) ...
, along with a saw mill, a grist mill and a fulling mill. Eventually the Borden family would acquire the water rights of the entire Quequechan River valley, and its tremendous potential. Borden began working in a grist mill at age fifteen. Most of the area's corn was ground at his mill. He became adept in the task of sailing and boating in the Narragansett Bay, as part of the grist mill business. He also operated a saw mill adjacent to the grist mill during these years. Borden acquired the rank of "colonel" in the local militia in 1828. In 1828, Borden married Abby Walker Durfee. Together they had seven children; two daughters and five sons. Three of their sons would continue in their father's footsteps and become involved in the Fall River textile business; Thomas James Borden (1832–1902), Richard Baxter Borden (1834–1906) and Matthew Challoner Durfee Borden (1842–1912).


Industrial pioneer

In 1821, Borden established the Fall River Iron Works, along with Major Bradford Durfee, and several others at the lower part of the
Quequechan River The Quequechan River is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts, that flows in a northwesterly direction from the northwest corner of the South Watuppa Pond through the heart of the city of Fall River and into the end of the Taunton River at ...
. Bradford Durfee was a shipwright, and Richard Borden was the owner of a grist mill. After an uncertain start, in which some early investors pulled out, the Fall River Iron Works was incorporated in 1825, with $200,000 in capital. The Iron Works began producing nails, bar stock, and other items such as bands for casks in the nearby
New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...
whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
industry. They soon gained a reputation for producing nails of high quality, and business flourished. By 1845, the company was valued at $960,000. In 1827, Borden began regular steamship service to
Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
. The Iron Works would continue play an important role in the early development of the textile industry in Fall River. Richard Borden later constructed the Metacomet Mill in 1847, which today is the oldest remaining
textile mill Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...
in the City, located on Anawan Street.


Other businesses

Borden also established the first railroad line to serve Fall River, The
Fall River Branch Railroad The Fall River Railroad was a railroad that ran between Fall River and Braintree, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in 1845 as a merger between three railroads, which opened in phases in 1845 and 1846. The railroad merged into the Ol ...
, was incorporated in 1844 and opened in 1845 to Myricks Junction, with a connection to Boston via
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
via the
Taunton Branch Railroad The Taunton Branch Railroad was one of the earliest railroads to be established in Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered by the state in 1835 as a branch of the Boston and Providence Railroad (which opened in 1835) running between Ma ...
. However, wanting a more direct route to Boston, Borden opened a new line in 1846 connecting with the
Old Colony Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, ...
at South Braintree via
Middleborough Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,405 as of 2023. The census-designated place of Middleborough Center corresponds to the main village and commercial center of the town. It is the seco ...
and Bridgewater. The Fall River Branch Railroad was merged with the Middleborough Railroad Corporation and the Randolph & Bridgewater Railroad Corporation to become the Fall River Railroad Company. In 1847, regular steamship service to New York City began as the Bay State Steamboat Company, later known as the
Fall River Line The Fall River Line was a combination steamboat and railroad connection between New York City and Boston that operated between 1847 and 1937. It consisted of a railroad journey between Boston and Fall River, Massachusetts, where passengers wou ...
. It was America's most luxurious steamship line connecting rail travelers from Boston to Manhattan. It would operate until 1937.


Legacy

Three of Richard Borden's sons would carry on their father's tradition in the family's businesses. In 1871, his eldest son, Colonel Thomas James Borden (1832–1902) would build the Richard Borden Mill, as a tribute to his father, and succeed his uncle Jefferson as agent of the Print Works, as well as numerous other concerns. Richard Baxter Borden (1834–1906) would serve as either president, director and treasurer of several mills, banks and insurance companies. Matthew C.D. Borden (1842–1912) would eventually take over the American Printing Company in 1887.The Run of the Mills, Steve Dunwell, 1978


See also

*
History of Fall River, Massachusetts For much of its history, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts has been defined by the rise and fall of its cotton textile industry. From its beginnings as a rural outpost of the Plymouth Colony, the city grew to become the largest textile producin ...


References


External links


Article on Richard Borden
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Borden, Richard 1795 births 1874 deaths American manufacturing businesspeople People from Fall River, Massachusetts Businesspeople from Massachusetts People from Freetown, Massachusetts 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Oak Grove Cemetery (Fall River, Massachusetts)