In September 1886 the firm of Baldwin, Rhodes & Co. was established by Frank A. Baldwin, J. B. Rhodes, Albert W. Lobdell, and M. D. Baldwin, to manufacture a saw swage that had been developed and patented by Rhodes. The firm achieved some success, though Lobdell, who had been working as a sales agent for the firm, left acrimoniously in 1891. Shortly after, experienced saw man Orrin B. Bolton became a partner and the business name was changed to Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton.

Under this new name the business expanded their product portfolio to encompass a range of saw sharpening machinery and tools. They would later add products for knife sharpening plus blade guides and a few machinist's tools. They were a dealer for sawblades from R. Hoe & Co., and woodworking machinery from C. O. & A. D. Porter By 1899 they were publishing a handsome annual catalog of machinery and tools of interest to sawmills and woodworking factories.

In 1912 Victor Tuthill and Frank Baldwin purchased a two-thirds stake in Oliver Machinery Co., which at that time was in financial difficulty. Tuthill and Baldwin, with the assistance of Baldwin's sons Melvin and Ralph, were successful in bringing Oliver Machinery to profitability. Despite this success, the company founder, Joseph Oliver, became unco-operative and was forced out in 1916. Tuthill, Baldwin, and Ralph F. Baldwin purchased the remaining portion of Oliver Machinery Co. in 1919, and merged the operations of Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton with Oliver. The Oliver Machinery Co. name was retained.

In 1916 The Machinery Company of America was established in Grand Rapids to act as distributor for Covel Manufacturing Co., Hanchett Swage Works, and Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton. In 1928, The Machinery Company of America changed its name to the Covel-Hanchett Company. We suspect that BT&B withdrew from Machinery Company of America in about 1919.

Information sources

• Author Dana M. Batory reports that this firm was established in 1889.
• 1892-07-16 The Age of Steel carries a brief note requesting correspondence regarding new metalworking machinery. The note is from "Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton, successors to Baldwin, Rhodes & Co."
• 1893 Northwestern Reporter (Vol. 53) pages 730 to 732 summarizes the lawsuit Lobdell v. Baldwin et. al., from Dec. 2, 1892 Supreme Court of Michigan. The summary says that the firm of Baldwin, Rhodes & Co. was established September 9, 1886 by Albert W. Lobdell, Frank A. Baldwin, M. D. Baldwin and J. B. Rhodes, and was engaged in the manufacture of saw swages. "They continued in business to April 6, 1891. Lobdell was a sales agent. Lobdell alleged that he was still owed sales commission, which Frank Baldwin, general manager and bookkeeper, denied. The crux of the case was that Baldwin had deducted cash advances from Lobdell's commissions. Lobdell wanted to see the books but the lower court judge denied this, and the Supreme Court affirmed.
• November 1892 The Wood-Worker, page 28, in a letter to the editor from a Grand Rapids correspondent: "... I also use the Rhodes automatic swages, made by Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton of this city, and think it is the best I ever used."
• March 1899 The Wood-Worker has a full-page ad from Baldwin, Tuthill & Bolton, for R. Hoe & Co.'s sawblades, C. O. & A. D. Porter's woodworking machinery, and the 1899 edition of their catalog of saw fitting machinery and tools.
• The Grand Rapids Public Library archives possess 1905, 1906, and 1910 catalogs of "Saw and Knife Fitting Machinery and Tools".
• We also have a report of a 1913 catalog.
• Ad in May 1919 issue of "The Wood-Worker" for their bandsaw guides. An ad for Machinery Company of America is right next to the BT&B ad, which does not mention the former name.
• See our entry for Oliver Machinery Co. for more information on the relationship between the firms. The Michigan Supreme Court Decision on Oliver's lawsuit against Tuthill and Baldwin is fascinating reading (seriously).
• 1922 broadside.