Early life Goff was born in
Rehoboth, Massachusetts into a
textile mill–owning family. His father, Lt. Richard Goff, was a partner in the Union Manufacturing Company in Rehoboth, dyeing yarn which would be made into cloth. As a youth, Darius worked in his father's factory, until it closed its doors in 1821. In 1826, at age 17, Goff headed to
Fall River to study the
woolen business with John and Jesse Eddy. His career was temporarily put on hold when he suffered a serious accident. For three years Goff worked as a clerk in a
Providence grocery store while he recovered.
Textile career After Goff recovered from his injury, together with his brother Nelson he bought the Union Cotton Mill in Rehoboth in 1836. Unfortunately, this mill soon burned to the ground. Goff then turned his attention to the
cotton waste business. Darius started contracting with local
cotton mills to take their refuse. By 1847, he started the Union Wadding Company to process cotton waste into a wadded form that was usable by
paper mills, and then he sold this wadding to paper mills to be made into paper. In 1871, that mill burned down. Fortunately, by 1861 Goff had begun the manufacture of worsted braids, first under the name of the American Worsted Co., then in 1864 under the name D. Goff & Son, with his son Darius L. Goff as partner. The braids were often mentioned in the advertisements for the company of Pawtucket. When his other son Lyman joined the company, it became D. Goff & Sons. Goff was determined to produce mohair plush for upholstery, such as the kind used for car seats. Goff sent associates to France and Germany to
uncover how the process was done, but they failed to learn the trade secrets. Goff eventually wound up creating his own process through trial and error, becoming the first manufacturer of plush in the United States in 1882.
Other achievements Goff was also at various times a director of various concerns including The Franklin Savings Bank, the First National Bank, the Pawtucket Street Railroad, The Pawtucket Hair Cloth Co, and others. He was a member of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers. Goff served repeatedly on the Town Council of Pawtucket, and in 1871, he was elected to the
Rhode Island State Senate. == Personal life ==