Samuel Leonard Crocker | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | |
| Preceded by | Francis B. Fay |
| Succeeded by | James Buffington |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 31, 1804 Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | February 10, 1883 (aged 78) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Hannah Weld Thomas, m. June 15, 1825, d. November 22, 1827; Caroline Thomas, m. April 13, 1830, d. January 28, 1875[1] |
| Children | Mary Caroline; Sally; Ellen Louisa; Samuel Leonard Crocker, Jr.,[1] |
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Samuel Leonard Crocker (March 31, 1804 – February 10, 1883) was a businessman andU.S. Representative fromTaunton, Massachusetts. Crocker graduated fromBrown University,Providence, Rhode Island, in 1822.Throughout his life, he engaged in various manufacturing and civic interests in his hometown of Taunton and throughoutMassachusetts.
Samuel Leonard Crocker was born inTaunton in 1804 into a prominent family. His parents were William A. Crocker and Sally (Ingell) Crocker. He was the middle of three brothers, along with older brother William Allen and younger brother George Augustus, who would later do business together as Crocker Brothers & Company.[2] Samuel Leonard's uncle was the Hon. Samuel Crocker, who founded the firm of Crocker, Bush and Richmond in 1805. Later known as Crocker and Richmond, the firm was involved in several manufacturing businesses of Taunton during the early 19th century.
Crocker married Hannah Weld Thomas (daughter ofIsaiah Thomas) in 1825, but she died two years later in 1827. In 1830, Crocker married Hannah's sister Caroline Thomas. They had three daughters and one son, Mary Caroline (who marriedDarius N. Couch, Sally (who marriedEdmund H. Bennett), Ellen Louisa and Samuel L. Crocker, Jr.[3]
In 1826, Crocker founded the Taunton Copper Manufacturing Co., along with his two brothers. Located along theWading River inNorton, Massachusetts, the company was incorporated in 1831 with a working capital of $200,000 (~$6.91 million in 2024). The business soon prospered and expanded. The company obtained a lucrative contract to furnish the U.S. Government with $50,000 in copper coins annually. In 1845, a second location was built atWeir Village, and much of the machinery from Norton relocated to the new site.
In 1843, along with his brother George, and the Robinson brothers ofBridgewater, Crocker founded theOld Colony Iron Works inEast Taunton. Established at the site of Horatio Leonard & Company, which was originally built in 1823, the Old Colony Iron Works became the largest producer of nails in New England by the mid-1870s.
Crocker was also president of theTaunton Locomotive Manufacturing Company from 1862 until his death in 1883.[4]
He was also involved with several railroads throughout his career. In 1835, he was part of the creation of theTaunton Branch Railroad, which provided the first rail connection between Taunton and the outside world (Boston andProvidence). In 1863, Crocker was among the incorporators of theDighton and Somerset Railroad, which later became part of theOld Colony Railroad.[5] He also served as a director of theOld Colony Railroad in his later years.[6]
Crocker served as a member of theMassachusetts Governor's Council in 1849. He was elected as aWhig to theThirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855).Crocker was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1854 to theThirty-fourth Congress. His seat was won byJames Buffington ofFall River.
In his later life, Crocker was a member of theOld Colony Historical Society,[7] and a trustee of the Taunton Lunatic Hospital.[8] He was also president of the local Humane Society.
Crocker died inBoston, Massachusetts on February 10, 1883. He wasinterred inMount Pleasant Cemetery inTaunton, Massachusetts.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Succeeded by |
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