A. F. Prentice & Co. was founded in 1870 as a partnership of brothers Albert F. Prentice and Vernon F. Prentice. In 1875 Vernon sold his share of the business to Frederick E. Reed, who bought the rest of the company in 1877 and operated it under his own name, F. E. Reed. In 1890 John Black became a partner and the company was renamed to F. E. Reed & Co.
In 1877, Vernon F. Prentice partnered with another brother, Benjamin W. Prentice, to form Prentice Brothers, which ended up making similar products to A. F. Prentice & Co..
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| From 1880-01-30 American Machinist |
Information Sources
- Listed in the 1874 work, Wiley's American iron trade manual of the leading iron industries of the United States, as a maker of "smiths' tools, etc."
- Mentioned in 1876 Manufacturer & Builder as a maker of foot-powered lathes and a drill press
- See the entry for F. E. Reed & Co. for more information and sources.
- American Lathe Builders: 1810-1910 by Kenneth L. Cope, 2001 page 132
- The listed 1876 publication reprint is a Spanish-language pamphlet given to attendees at the 1876 Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia.