Thomas Taber II (May 19, 1785 – March 21, 1862) was an American farmer, businessman, and politician from New York. He was most notable for his service as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1826 and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1828 to 1829.
A native of Dover, New York, Taber was educated locally and became active in farming and businesses, including insurance, banking, and railroads. Taber was long active in politics as a Democratic-Republican, Jacksonian, and Democrat, and during his life attended numerous local, county, and state party conventions as a delegate. In 1825, Taber appeared to win election to the New York State Assembly, and he took his seat in January; John Fowks Jr. successfully contested the result and replaced Taber after Taber had served just a few days. In 1828, Taber won a special election to fill a vacancy in the United States House of Representatives, and he served in the second session of the 20th United States Congress, November 1828 to March 1829.
In his later years, Taber moved to Roslyn, New York, to live near his son, Stephen Taber. He died in Roslyn on March 21, 1862, and was buried at Friends Cemetery in Westbury, New York.
Early life
Taber was born in Dover, New York, on May 19, 1785, one of ten children born to William Taber and Martha (Akin) Taber, and the grandson of Thomas Taber (1732–1783). William Taber was a successful farmer who also served as a judge and a member of the New York State Assembly. Thomas Taber attended the common schools of Dutchess County and became active in farming and business ventures.
Start of career
In 1811, Taber was appointed a justice of the peace. The Dutchess County Agricultural Society was organized in May 1819, and Taber was a charter member. He remained active in the society for most of his life, and served as a vice president in the 1840s. In March 1815, Taber was one of several Dutchess County Democratic-Republicans who requested that New York's council of appointment rescind the appointment of Philip Spencer Jr. as county clerk. Spencer, the brother of Ambrose Spencer and brother-in-law of DeWitt Clinton, had been accused of crimes including arson, and had developed an unsavory reputation as a result. His appointment proved so unpopular that he resigned later that year.
In March 1817, Taber was a delegate to the county Democratic-Republican nominating convention that appointed state convention delegates pledged to DeWitt Clinton for governor and John Tayler for lieutenant governor, and he was selected as a delegate to the state convention. In June 1818, Taber was appointed one of the state's commissioners for Dutchess County; commissioners were responsible for officially acknowledging the transfer of deeds and other sale documents. Clinton and Tayler were elected, and in 1819, Taber was an unsuccessful candidate for the New York State Assembly, running as a Clinton supporter during a factional split in New York's Democratic-Republican Party. In October 1822, Taber was a delegate to the Dutchess County Democratic-Republican convention that chose candidates for county sheriff, clerk, coroner, the state legislature, and the U.S. House.
In September 1824, Taber was a delegate to the Dutchess County Democratic-Republican convention which met to select delegates to the state party convention scheduled for Utica. In October 1824, he was a delegate to the county nominating convention that chose candidates for Congress, the New York State Senate, and the state assembly. In January 1825, Taber chaired a meeting of Dutchess County Democratic-Republicans that resolved to support Andrew Jackson for president in the 1825 contingent election and requested that their U.S. House member, William W. Van Wyck, vote for Jackson. Taber served briefly in the New York State Assembly beginning on January 1, 1826; his election to the 49th New York State Legislature was contested by John Fowks Jr., who was seated on January 10.
In April 1828, the Dover and Union Vale Turnpike Company was created with the intent of constructing a toll road from the Connecticut state line in Dover west through Poughkeepsie to the town of Union Vale, and Taber was an original incorporator. Later in 1828, Taber won a special election as a Jacksonian to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat left vacant by the resignation of Thomas Jackson Oakley. He served for one session of the 20th United States Congress, November 5, 1828, to March 3, 1829.