Page 13 - The History of Watertown Savings Bank_Neat

Byron B. Taggart served as the first president of Officials from several other banks in the city
Watertown Savings Bank from 1893 to 1897. His had approached Mr. Taggart to serve on their
accomplishments were impressive. boards of trustees, including the Watertown
Mr. Taggart was president and co-owner of National Bank, which he had helped to organize
Byron B. Taggart Taggart Brothers Paper Co., Watertown, and prior to becoming a founder of Watertown
Watertown Savings Bank the Taggart Paper Co., Felts Mills. Along with Savings Bank.

President his brother, William Taggart, he became quite During the Civil War, Mr. Taggart led a
successful in the paper-making industry. company of volunteers for the 10th New York
1893 - 1897 The brothers had started in 1865 with several Artillery, and in 1862, he was commissioned

other investors in the manufacturing of Manila as captain. He served as a commander at Fort
paper, one of the first industries of its kind along Ricketts, Washington D.C., until sustaining
the Black River. Approximately five years later, injuries that forced him to leave the military and
the brothers formed their own company, Taggart return home to Watertown in 1863. Mr. Taggart
Brothers was later appointed a trustee of the Soldiers
Home in Bath, N.Y.
Mr. Taggart has been credited for inventing the
paper bag during the Civil War, at a time when He was born in 1831 in the town of LeRay, the
there was a shortage of cotton to produce flour son of Henry Taggart, a well-known and successful
farmer, and his wife, Julina. He had seven siblings,
bags. He was also the founder of Watertown including his brother, William, who would succeed
Thermometer Company in 1848. He has him as president of WSB upon his death in 1897.
been described in historical records as a “semi-
millionaire” who was known for his “sterling He married his wife, Frances Brown, in 1856. The
integrity, thrift, enterprise and public spirit.” couple had three children.
The mill owned by the Taggart Brothers. Shown about 1910.
The successful businessman served two terms as
mayor of the City of Watertown (1879 and 1880).
Mr. Taggart also worked with several community
leaders to organize the Watertown Street Railway
Company, helping to build a system of electric
trolley cars in the city that could transport
workers to various paper mills, including those in
Glen Park and Brownville.

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