Mr. Oakes was descended from English stock, his grandfather, John Oakes, having been a resident of Ellastone Mills, Staffordshire, England. The latter had two sons, David and Thomas, of whom Thomas emigrated to America in 1802, and pursued his vocation, that of a consulting engineer and millwright, having acted in the former capacity for the Philadelphia Board of Water-Works and later been made superintendent of the Schuylkill Navigation Company. He married Rachel Kingsland, whose children were David, Joseph, Sarah, John, and Mary. Mr. Oakes, in connection with his duties as an official of the Schuylkill Canal, removed to Reading, where his death occurred in 1828. His son David was born Jan. 13, 1809, in that portion of Bloomfield now known as Franklin township, where he lived until nearly two years of age, when his parents removed to the present site of Bloomfield, and he, until the age of seventeen, pursued his studies at the school adjacent to his home. In 1826 he removed to Orange, N.J., for the purpose of acquiring the trade of a finisher of woolen goods. Soon after completing his apprenticeship he located in the village of Bloomfield, and at once erected a frame building, which, having equipped with the necessary machinery and stock, he began the manufacture of woolen goods. After a successful business had been established the structure was, in 1836, destroyed by fire. The enterprise of Mr. Oakes was manifested in the immediate erection of a new building, which was devoted to the exclusive manufacture of flannels and yarn. Again, in 1842, the products of the mill were varied, tweeds becoming the staple article, which, by their superior quality, gained a wide reputation. The mills were enlarged in 1849, and in 1860 the first brick building erected, which was followed by various additions in 1878 and again in 1879, 1880 and 1882 respectively, Mr. Oakes’ son Thomas having succeeded him as general manager. Mr. Oakes was married to Abigail H., daughter of Simeon Baldwin, of Bloomfield. Their childron are Sarah (Mrs. Cornelius Van Lieu), deceased; George A., deceased; and Thomas. Mr. Oakes continued in active business during his life-time, having established a reputation not less as a master in his special department of industry than for integrity and uprightness in all commercial transactions. He was in politics early a Whig, later a Republican, and always strongly Anti-Slavery in his proclivities. In 1860 and 1861 he was a member of the State Legislature, and filled at various times the important offices connected with his county and township. He was a director of the National Newark Banking Company and a member of the board of managers of the Howard Savings Institution. He was for years one of the board of trustees of the Bloomfield Presbyterian Church and a member of this church at the time of his death, which occurred July 26, 1878. David Oakes, who would eventually build the Oakes Mills in Bloomfield, NJ, was a first generation American born in Franklin, N.J. on January 26, 1809. He was the son of Thomas Oakes, who migrated from England in 1802, and Rachel Kingsland Oakes, descendant of one of the original families to colonize the Newark/Bloomfield area. David moved with his parents to Bloomfield, N.J., at age two. However, in 1826, he moved to Orange, N.J. to apprentice as a finisher of woolen goods. Upon finishing his apprenticeship, in 1830, he built his own textiles factory. During this time, he wed Abigail Baldwin Oakes. After a fire in 1836 destroyed this factory, he erected a second, specializing in flannel, yarn, and blanket production. In 1842, his factory shifted it's production focus to tweed. Then, in 1860, the thriving business erected its first brick building. Throughout the early years of the company, they produced both police and fire uniforms. Furthermore, during the Civil War, they began producing materials used to make military and service uniforms for the Union Army. David, originally a Whig, became a Republican and was against the institution of slavery. In 1878, David Oakes passed away, leaving his business to his sons Thomas Oakes (b. June 6, 1838) and George A Oakes. Thomas would take the lead in regards to running the family business. In 1865, he married Juliet Maxfield Oakes. The couple had four children together. He continued to run the business into the 20th century, until his death in 1924. At that time, his oldest son David (b. May 26, 1869) then took over as president of Oakes Mills. His other son, George, would serve as vice president. The business did well into the 1920s and 1930s. Later on, the development of synthetic fibers and improved production technologies eventually hurt the business, causing it to finally close in 1945. In 1947, the factory and its land were broken up and auctioned, ending its over 100 years of existence as a part of the Bloomfield landscape. However, despite its eventual demise, the factory would always be known and remembered for its superior product quality. During their lives, both David and Thomas Oakes were active and important members of the Bloomfield community. David served on the Board of Trustees at the Bloomfield First Presbyterian Church, was a member of the first Board of School Trustees, and was a member of the State Legislature in 1860-1861. Furthermore, David was also involved in the first railroad project to serve Newark and Bloomfield. It is interesting to note that David served in the Bloomfield school board when Bloomfield became one of the first municipalities to enact a free school town law (in 1849) allowing free access to schooling, without any form of tuition requirement. His son Thomas was also an active community member, also serving on the local school board as its president, as well as serving as president of the National Bank of Bloomfield, and president of the United Jersey Railroad and Canal Co. During David Oakes' life, he would build the family home, located on Belleville Ave, that would come to be affectionately known as Oakside. The mansion, purchased by the town of Bloomfield, now stands as the Oakside Bloomfield Cultural Center, a public resource for cultural information.