Oakes Angier Ames

Oakes Angier Ames (April 15, 1829 – September 19, 1899) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist in the Ames family of North Easton, Massachusetts. He was an heir to the Oliver Ames and Sons Corporation and Ames Shovel and Tool Company and was born into a family already known to be successful in business and philanthropic towards the townsfolk, many of whom were employed by the Ames'. He served as superintendent in 1873 and then President of the Company in 1877, overseeing all workings in the factory. He was credited with managing to resolve the most notable worker strike in the town's history that lasted for almost two months in 1889. Before his death, Oakes Angier had helped manage a highly prosperous family business and commissioned buildings for the betterment of the town of Easton (including a schoolhouse in North Easton). He served as President of the North Easton Savings Bank and Vice-President of the Easton National Bank, was a Director of the Lincoln National Bank of Boston and the Kingsley Iron Machine Company, trustee of the State Lunatic Asylum in Taunton, MA (Taunton State Hospital), Director of the American Loan and Trust Company and of the United Electric Securities Company, and co-owned a sugar plantation in Louisiana. Family Oakes Angier Ames was the oldest son of Massachusetts Congressman Oakes Ames (1804-1873) (a major force behind the Union Pacific Railroad) and brother of Oliver Ames (governor) (1831-1895), 35th Governor of Massachusetts from 1887-1890, Frank Morton Ames, Henry Gilmore Ames and Susan Eveline (Ames) French. His mother, Evelina Orville Gilmore, was the daughter of Joshua and Hannah (Lothrop) Gilmore of Easton, MA. The Ames family lineage from which he was descended can be traced back to William Ames who emigrated with his brother John to New England in 1635 and settled in Bridgewater, MA. His great-grandfather Capt. John Ames and grandfather Oliver Ames Sr. founded the Ames Shovel Works during a time when shovels were needed to build canals and railroads. The Ames family was among the wealthiest in Massachusetts. Early life Oakes Angier attended public school in Easton, MA. He then attended Fruit Hill Academy in RI and the Leicester Academy, MA. and entered the family business at the age of eighteen. He learned how shovels were made and became skilled in handling the affairs of the workers.