Entrepreneur. He was an inventor who became a business magnate. He was a 19th-century flour miller and merchant in "The Flour City" of Rochester, New York along with being a partner in many different toolmaking companies from 1850 to 1875. These companies included Barton & Guild, Barton & Babcock, Barton & Smith, Barton & Belden, David R. Barton & Company, Barton & Milliner, and David R. Barton Tool Company. Born on the Hudson River, he came to Rochester at age 21 and started his career at Thomas Morgan's blacksmith shop making nails. With the demand for Rochester flour, he invented new equipment and processes were needed to meet the production. He invented many iron tools and machinery to mass produce barrels, and devised a new system of harnessing and transferring water-generated power through gears, pulleys and elevated shafts on several floors of his building, which thus became one of the earliest multi-level machine tool factories in the country. His business grew over the years to a point where he had almost 200 employees and producing more than $100,000 worth of edge tools per year. On March 17, 1865 the great flood of Rochester occurred destroying his business, but he borrowed the cash needed to rebuild from William Mack. He rallied with another successful business. Ten years later, he died after a short illness. After his death, Mack purchased his business and used his name on tools for the next five years.
Entrepreneur. He was an inventor who became a business magnate. He was a 19th-century flour miller and merchant in "The Flour City" of Rochester, New York along with being a partner in many different toolmaking companies from 1850 to 1875. These companies included Barton & Guild, Barton & Babcock, Barton & Smith, Barton & Belden, David R. Barton & Company, Barton & Milliner, and David R. Barton Tool Company. Born on the Hudson River, he came to Rochester at age 21 and started his career at Thomas Morgan's blacksmith shop making nails. With the demand for Rochester flour, he invented new equipment and processes were needed to meet the production. He invented many iron tools and machinery to mass produce barrels, and devised a new system of harnessing and transferring water-generated power through gears, pulleys and elevated shafts on several floors of his building, which thus became one of the earliest multi-level machine tool factories in the country. His business grew over the years to a point where he had almost 200 employees and producing more than $100,000 worth of edge tools per year. On March 17, 1865 the great flood of Rochester occurred destroying his business, but he borrowed the cash needed to rebuild from William Mack. He rallied with another successful business. Ten years later, he died after a short illness. After his death, Mack purchased his business and used his name on tools for the next five years.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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