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Article: Gould, Jayson "Jay"
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
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GOULD, JAYSON "JAY"
Jayson Gould (1836
–
1892), known as Jay, was born in Roxbury, New York, on May 27, 1836. A farmer's son, he attended a local academy for schooling and also learned surveying skills. From ages 18 to 21, Gould helped to prepare maps of New York's southern counties; he later worked as a clerk and a blacksmith. When he and a partner were able to put together a stake of $5,000, he went into the leather-tanning business in northern Pennsylvania.
Gould eventually moved to New York City, where he sold leather goods and, in 1859 and 1860, began speculating in the stock market. Ruthless in his stock market dealings, Gould made great profits from Pennsylvania, New York, ...