LEMUEL POMEROY (1778-1849)
Born in Southampton, Conn., August 18, 1778, he came to Pittsfield in 1799 and began a blacksmith shop, which in time branched out into other fields. By 1814, he and four others incorporate “The Pittsfield Woolen and Cotton factory.” Operations began in 1815 and the business grew so rapidly that in 1827, after having gradually purchased the other shares of stock, he and Josiah Pomeroy abandoned the corporation and formed a partnership. But by 1839 Lemuel had purchased his partner’s interest and had formed with his sons, Theodore, Robert, and Edward, “Lemuel Pomeroy and Sons.” He held considerably more business and real estate properties that added to his wealth. He is responsible for the erection of Town Hall in 1832 at his own expense. There was hardly a public movement in Pittsfield in which he did not have a controlling interest. He died August 18, 1849.