Gail Borden Jr. (November 9, 1801 – January 11, 1874) was an American inventor and manufacturing pioneer. He was born in New York state and settled in Texas in 1829 (then part of Mexico), where he worked as a land surveyor, newspaper publisher, and food company entrepreneur. He created a process in 1853 to make sweetened condensed milk. Earlier, Borden helped plan the cities of Houston and Galveston in 1836. Borden's process for making sweetened condensed milk enabled the dairy product to be transported and stored without refrigeration and for longer periods than fresh milk. After returning to the New York area to market another product, he set up factories for condensed milk in Connecticut and later in New York and Illinois. Demand by the Union Army was high during the American Civil War. His New York Condensed Milk Company changed its name to Borden Dairy Co. after his death.
Early life Gail Borden Jr. was born in Norwich, New York, on November 9, 1801, to Gail Borden Sr. (1777–1863), and Philadelphia (née Wheeler) Borden (1780–1828). The family moved to Kennedy's Ferry, Kentucky (renamed as Covington in 1814). There, he learned the art of surveying while aiding his father in the surveying of what would become Covington. Borden also moved to New London, Indiana, in 1816. Borden received his only formal schooling in Indiana during 1816 and 1817. In 1822, Borden and his brother Thomas left home and settled in Amite County, Mississippi. Borden stayed in Liberty for seven years, working as the county surveyor and as a schoolteacher in Bates and Zion Hill. His mother died at age 48 from yellow fever in Nashville, Tennessee, perhaps while visiting a grown child and family.
Migration to Texas After initially landing in Texas at Galveston Island at the end of 1829, Borden settled in what is currently Fort Bend County, where he surveyed and raised stock. After a short time, he took over as chief surveyor for Stephen F. Austin. Borden and his family left Mississippi in 1829 and moved to Texas, where his father and brother John had settled. (His mother had died the previous year.) His brother Thomas also settled in Texas. As a surveyor, Borden plotted the towns of Houston and Galveston. He collaborated on drawing the first topographical map of Texas in 1835.
Texas Revolution
In February 1835, Gail and his brother John entered into partnership with Joseph Baker to publish one of the first newspapers in Texas. Although none of the three had any previous printing experience, Baker was considered "one of the best informed men in the Texian colony on the Texas-Mexican situation". The men based their newspaper in San Felipe de Austin, which was centrally located among the colonies in eastern Texas. They ran the first issue under the banner of Telegraph and Texas Planter on October 10, 1835, days after the Texas Revolution began, though the later issues bore the name Telegraph and Texas Register. As editor, Gail Borden worked to be objective. Soon after the newspaper began publishing, John Borden left to join the Texian Army, and their brother Thomas took his place as Borden's partner. Historian Eugene C. Barker describes the Borden newspaper as "an invaluable repository of public documents during this critical period of the state's history". The early format of the paper was three columns to a page with a total of eight pages. The Telegraph printed official documents and announcements, editorials, local news, reprints of articles from other newspapers, poetry, and advertisements.
As the Mexican Army moved east into the Texian colonies, the Telegraph was soon the only newspaper in Texas still operating. Their 21st issue was published on March 24. This contained the first list of names of Texans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. On March 27, the Texas Army reached San Felipe, carrying word that the Mexican advance guard was approaching. According to a later editorial in the Telegraph, the publishers were "the last to consent to move". The Bordens dismantled the printing press and brought it with them as they evacuated with the rear guard on March 30. The Bordens retreated to Harrisburg. On April 14, as they were in the process of printing a new issue, Mexican soldiers arrived and seized the press. The soldiers threw the type and press into Buffalo Bayou and arrested the Bordens. The Texas Revolution ended days later. Supposedly, during the war, Gail Borden Jr. helped to design the Baker's San Felipe flag which was flown in the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.
After the war Lacking funds to replace his equipment, Borden mortgaged his land to buy a new printing press in Cincinnati. The 23rd issue of the Telegraph was published in Columbia on August 2, 1836. Although many had expected Columbia to be the new capital, the First Texas Congress instead chose the new city of Houston. Borden relocated to Houston and published the first Houston issue of his paper on May 2, 1837. The newspaper was in financial difficulty, as the Bordens rarely paid their bills. In March 1837, Thomas Borden sold his interest in the enterprise to Francis W. Moore Jr., who took over as chief editor. Three months later, Gail Borden transferred his shares to Jacob W. Cruger.
Political career and early inventions Borden was a delegate at the Convention of 1833, where he assisted in writing early drafts of a Republic of Texas constitution. He also shared administrative duties with Samuel May Williams during 1833 and 1834 when Stephen F. Austin was away in Mexico.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
