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Alexander Smith (October 14, 1818 – November 5, 1878) was a Yonkers, New York businessman and political figure who founded the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company and won election to the United States House of Representatives. ==Biography== Alexander Smith was born in Mercer County, New Jersey on October 14, 1818. He was raised on his family's farm, educated in New Jersey, and moved with his family to West Farms, New York in 1834.〔Yonkers Herald-Statesman, (City to Hail Smith's Mill Centennial ), September 22, 1945〕 Smith became interested in manufacturing, and in 1844 established a shop in West Farms for making looms and carpets. The shop caught fire and was rebuilt, and after a second fire in 1864 Smith reestablished his business in Yonkers. His business prospered, especially after he invented a loom suitable for weaving fine carpets, which other carpet makers used under licensing agreements with Smith, and his two factories eventually employed more than 3,000 people.〔Henry Hall, editor, (America's Successful Men of Affairs ), 1896, pages 727-728〕〔Peter R. Eisenstadt, Laura-Eve Moss, (The Encyclopedia of New York State ), 2005, page 268〕 A Republican, in 1878 he was the party's nominee for Congress in New York's 12th District. He became ill on election day, and died just a few hours after being informed that he had won. Smith died in Yonkers on November 5, 1878.〔New York Times, (Stricken Down in Victory: Death of Congressman-Elect Smith ), November 7, 1878〕 He was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers. His company continued to operate, and through successive mergers eventually moved to Mississippi as part of Mohawk Industries.〔Mohawk Flooring, (History ), retrieved December 14, 2013〕 The Alexander Smith Carpet Mills Historic District in Yonkers was established in 1983, and contains many of the buildings that made up the factory and offices before the company moved out of New York.〔Westchester County Historical Society, (Historic Properties Listing: Alexander Smith Carpet Mills Historic District ), retrieved December 14, 2013〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alexander Smith (American politician)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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