My Genealogy Hound

DWIGHT NEWCOMB, a prominent citizen of Cannelton, was born in Franklin County, Mass., December 1, 1820, and is the only surviving member of a family of twelve children born to the marriage of Dalton Newcomb and Harriet Wells, also natives of the “Old Bay State.” He was reared in his native county, where he remained until he attained the age of seventeen years. Being one of a large family of children, and his father a man in very moderate circumstances, living on a New England farm, he received only a common school education. After leaving home he worked in an edge-tool manufactory, and later, in the hydraulic machine works in Vermont, until 1841, when he came to Louisville, Ky., and clerked in his brother’s grocery store for five years. The next five years was spent in steamboating, and in 1849, he built the steamer California, which he sold in June, 1851. In September of that year, he came to Cannelton to look after his brother’s interest in the cotton-mill, but with no intention of becoming a permanent resident of the place. The mill, however, was in such a condition that it was necessary to make extensive repairs, and he remained five years putting the mill in good shape. He was subsequently elected president of the cotton mill company. In 1855, under the firm name of D. Newcomb & Co., he leased the American Cannel Coal Company’s Mines, and invested about $42,000 in their development. It proved to be an exceedingly profitable investment. After repaying the capital invested, a total dividend of $400,000 remained. For five years Mr. Newcomb in partnership with others, operated a coal mine at Newburgh. He has always taken a vacation from business for about two months each year, visiting Saratoga, Newport, and resorts in this country, and for ten years made an annual trip to Europe. He has now entirely retired from business. Mr. Newcomb is a man of rare business ability, and deserves great credit for the part that he has taken in developing the resources of the county and building up the town. In politics he is a Democrat, and formerly took a very active part in the political affairs of the State and county.