George West | |
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| Member of theNew York State Assembly forSaratoga County, 1st District | |
| In office January 1, 1872 – December 31, 1876 | |
| Preceded by | Isaiah Fuller |
| Succeeded by | George W. Neilson |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's20th district | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 | |
| Preceded by | John H. Starin |
| Succeeded by | Edward Wemple |
| In office March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Wemple |
| Succeeded by | John Sanford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1823-02-17)February 17, 1823 |
| Died | September 20, 1901(1901-09-20) (aged 78) Ballston Spa,New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ballston Spa Village Cemetery, New York, United States |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Louisa Rose |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Signature | .png) |
George West (February 17, 1823 – September 20, 1901) was anindustrialist and aU.S. Representative fromNew York.
Born inBradninch,Devonshire,England, West attended the common schools. West emigrated to the United States in February 1849 and settled atBallston Spa, New York in 1860.
In Ballston Spa West gradually acquired nine water-powered mills onKayaderosseras Creek by 1879 manufacturing cotton, paper, andpaper bags.
West was called "The Paper Bag King" because he was one of the first men in the country to manufacture paper bags at a time when most bags were made from cotton.[1] In 1869, he and the few other bag manufacturers in the country joined withFrancis Wolle, inventor of the first paper bag machine, to form the Union Paper Bag Machine Company. Its only purpose was to "buy and fight patents."[2] This earlytrust was highly successful, as each member had access to all of the earliest paper bag patents and agreed not to compete with each other.[2]
West manufactured bags frommanila paper made ofManila hemp, also known asabacá from thePhilippines. Thus, he was able to sell them at a much lower cost than cotton sacks. They became extremely popular, and he sold millions per week. His paper bag factory inRock City Falls was one of the first in the country to manufacture bags with machinery.
The success of his bags compelled West to purchase or build additional paper mills. By 1880 his mills consisted of theUnion, Union Bag, Island, Eagle, Pioneer, Glen (pulp), Empire, Excelsior, and Middle Grove Upper and Lower Mills, all situated on theKayaderosseras Creek inMilton. He purchased his largest mill in the town ofHadley, New York on theHudson River. West sold his paper mill empire to the Union Bag & Paper Company in 1899 for $1.5 million.[3]
He also served as President of the First National Bank of Ballston Spa from 1879 until his death.
West served as member of theNew York State Assembly (Saratoga Co., 1st Assembly District) in1872,1873,1874,1875 and1876 and was a delegate to the1880 Republican National Convention.
He was elected as aRepublican to theForty-seventh Congress, holding office from March 4, 1881, to March 3, 1883. He was defeated byEdward Wemple in 1882, but returned to the49th and50th United States Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1885, to March 3, 1889. Afterwards, he resumed his former business activities.
West married Louisa Rose (1822-1901) in England. The couple had six children, three of whom lived to adulthood. George (b.1845, Devonshire, England, d.1906, Ballston Spa, New York), Walter S. (1854-1875), and Florence L. (b.1856, Russell, Massachusetts, d.1934, Saratoga Springs, New York), who married D. W. Mabee.[4]
He was known as a philanthropist, donating funds to build a museum inRound Lake, New York, a Methodist church in Ballston Spa, and making liberal contributions towards the two soldiers' monuments inSaratoga County, in Ballston Spa andSchuylerville.
In 1901 West died at his mansion in Ballston Spa with a fortune that would today be worth $75 million.[2] His wife predeceased him by seven months. They are buried in the Ballston Spa Village Cemetery.
His original residence in Rock City Falls still stands on Route 29 asThe Mansion Inn, now listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
| New York State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Isaiah Fuller | New York State Assembly Saratoga County, 1st District 1872–1876 | Succeeded by George W. Neilson |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 20th congressional district 1881–1883 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 20th congressional district 1885–1889 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
