Mr. Gaylord is a native of the City of Pittsburgh, where he was born on the first day of June, 1828, his father being Thomas G. Gaylord, Sr., who was a native of Utica, Oneida County, New York, where he was born in 1804. Thomas G., Sr., was married in 1826 to a daughter of Judge Morrell, of Johnstown, New York, and in 1827 he removed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, engaging there in the importation of queensware, he being the first to engage in this business west of the Allegheny Mountains. He continued this until 1832, when he acquired interests in iron properties in Portsmouth, Ohio, to which he gave the greater part of his attention until his death. In 1855, in order to secure a claim, he became the founder of the Davenport Gaslight Company, and the controlling interest then taken has remained in the family ever since. He died in 1858 in Cincinnati (his home at the time), prominent as a manufacturer of iron in all its branches. He was a cautious and shrewd business man, and was more than ordinarily successful. His widow and two children survived him , the latter being Mrs. Emma G. Pendleton, the widow of the late E. H. Pendleton, and Thomas G. Gaylord, now the president and general manager of the company above referred to. The latter was educated in Cincinnati, where he attended private schools, and at college in Marietta, Ohio. He became a partner with his father in the iron business in 1850, and the firm was known as Gaylord, Son & Company. The principal offices were in Cincinnati, where were also the warehouses, and the factories were located in Portsmouth and Newport.
Upon the death of the senior partner in 1858, his son purchased all the interests of the firm and continued the business. Under the excellent schooling of his father in the business for about eight years he had been afforded the opportunity to develop his talents in such a way that he was competent to continue in the course mapped out by an ambitious and energetic man; however, he did more than this, for he extended the business very largely and during the war supplied the United States Government with all of the iron used in the construction of the eleven gun- boats at St. Louis, under the supervision of Captain Eads.
In 1872 Mr. Gaylord retired from business, and until 1886 was not engaged in any active pursuit. Some time during the latter year he invested in an electrical plant in Louisville, Kentucky, and having reorganized it, sold it. He came to Davenport in 1891, having still retained his interests in the gas company, and feeling it needed his personal attention, became the president and general manager of the company; since which time he has increased the importance of the plant very materially.
He is a member of the Business Men's Association and takes an active interest in everything that pertains to the advancement of the interests of the people.
BIOGRAPHIES