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.
[1] Thomas Taber attended the common schools of Dutchess County and became active in farming and business ventures.
[17] 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.
[21][22] In 1831, Taber was a delegate to a nationwide protectionist convention that took place in New York City and met to argue for high tariffs and opposition to free trade.
[29] In May 1836, the Dutchess County Mutual Insurance Company was organized in Poughkeepsie, and Taber was elected to its first board of directors.
[32][33] In September 1840, Taber took part in a mass Democratic rally that was held in Poughkeepsie with the intent of building statewide support for that year's elections.
[35] In October 1844, Taber was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congress, but lost to William W. Woodworth, who went on to win the general election.
[40][41][42] In July 1849, Taber was one of the prominent Democrats who attempted to resolve the dispute between New York's Barnburners and Hunkers by serving as vice president of a union convention in Dutchess County.
[43] In August 1854, the shareholders and directors of the New York and Harlem Railroad were victimized by a fraud involving counterfeit stock certificates.
[44] During the company's response, Taber was one of the shareholders appointed to the nominating committee that proposed candidates for a reorganized board of directors.