Jacob Rogers was born in the year 1766. As in those days boys were apprenticed at an early age, it may be supposed that when he was fifteen years old he was in the employ of David Shields, with whom it is known he served his term of apprenticeship at hat-making. In 1796 Mr. Rogers is found the proprietor of a retail hat store at the corner of South and Second streets. He was an enterprising man, and succeeded in building up a business of large proportions. He died in 1842, possessed of a fortune amounting to three hundred thousand dollars, a large accumulation for those days. In 1805 he built an extensive factory on Second street, near Tripolet's alley--now Post-Office avenue--and adjoining the old Lutheran Church, the spire of which then contained the Town Clock; these old landmarks are now all removed and the location occupied by the stately edifice of the Corn and Flour Exchange. The number of hands employed by Mr. Rogers at his factory and "front shop" was about one hundred, including apprentices. His "plank" shop comprised five batteries, aggregating thirty men; in the finishing shop he employed about twenty-five, and he had usually bound to him as many as fifteen apprentices. This would appear to be a large force for a hat-manufacturing concern of that early period, but it must be remembered that the manual labor bestowed upon one hat then was more than that on some thousands in the present day of labor-saving machinery. That Mr. Rogers was a strict disciplinarian and an excellent business man is proven by the perfect control he exercised over the large number in his employ, whom he ruled with a firm hand yet with a wise judgment, and while rebuking any disobedience of orders, was feared, respected and loved for his strict sense of honor, justice and propriety. He boarded under his own roof nearly all his apprentices to the trade; a few were privileged to lodge at home, while their board was supplied by their master, as one of the stipulations of their indenture; so Jacob Rogers' immediate family, which was not a small one, was greatly enlarged by the addition of fifteen to twenty wild, untamed "prentice" boys. What would have been the domestic condition of such a family without the ruling influence of a stern master only those can imagine who know the kind of material of which the journeyman hatter of those days was composed. He was a veritable tramp. As a rule with Mr. Rogers, chastisement immediately followed misconduct; with him the present was the opportune time for punishment, and whether in the home, the shop, or on the street, any of the shop-boys were found doing wrong, correction was given in the then customary way--by flogging. Mr. Rogers was a conscientious member of the Methodist Church, and maintained a high character for honesty and probity, and recognized as a fair man in all his dealings.