Benjamin E. Bates

Benjamin Edward Bates (/beɪtɛs/; July 12, 1808 – January 14, 1878) was an American rail industrialist, textile tycoon, and philanthropist. Born to a large family in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He moved to Boston to work as a clerk at the dry goods store owned by Barnabas T. Loring until Loring's death in 1835. With partners, he subsequently ran the Davis & Bates, and the Davis, Bates, & Turner firms until 1847. After entering the textile business, he created the Bates Manufacturing Company in Lewiston, Maine, building its first mill in 1850. His company quickly became one of the largest employers in Maine and the largest in Lewiston. As the dominant force in the already-extant Lewiston Water Power Company, he also oversaw the creation of the first canal in the city.

At the start of the American Civil War, Bates correctly anticipated that the talk of secession in the Southern States would lead to a shortage of cotton. By buying up a large amount of Southern cotton prior to the start of hostilities, he was able to outproduce his business rivals, which led to the rapid growth of the Bates Manufacturing Company and the city of Lewiston.