By 1870 E. F. & G. A. Barnes were operating in Fair Haven, Connecticut and were making pipe tongs among other products. The partners in the business were machinists and brothers Elbridge Francis Barnes and George Asa Barnes; S. C. Strickland—apparently a relative of Elbridge's wife Marcia née Strickland—was also a partner for a time. Beginning in 1879 they began manufacturing a patented foot-power tablesaw.

In 1883 the business relocated to New Haven and Elbridge incorporated by himself as the Barnes Tool Co., with brother George as an employee. The Barnes Tool Co. made hand- and foot-powered machines, metal lathe chucks, lathe cutter holders, lathe dogs, and wrenches, among other products. After Elbridge's death in 1897, his wife, Genevieve took over, with George continuing as an employee. The firm incorporated in 1905 and survived until at least 1932. So far as we can tell they were only making hand tools by that time.

Information Sources

• 1870 Annual Report on the Northampton and Florence Water Committee lists a payment of $6 to "E. F. & G. A. Barnes".
• 1874-75 Greenough, Jones & Co's New Directory of... New Haven lists "Barnes Elbridge F., machinist, bds, 168 East Grand", and "Barnes George A., machinist, bds, 70 E. Grand".
• 1887 book, History of the City of New Haven to the Present Time, ed. Edward E. Atwater.

  The Barnes Tool Company make saw machines, pipe-cutters, and a general line of plumbers' tools, some of which are protected by patents. Twelve men are employed. This business is the continuation of that established by E. F. & G. C. Barnes in Fair Haven. S. C. Strickland was also for a time one of the proprietors. It came under the management of the present owner, E. F. Barnes, in 1883.

• A posting on the owwm discussion forum mentions a saw marked "E. F. Barnes / Barnes Tool Co. / New Haven, CT".
• Patents granted to Elbridge F. Barnes provide additional clues to the years of operation and the products made. His patents were not explicitly assigned to this company.
• From The Railroad, Telegraph, and Steamship Builders' Directory, 1888: a listing under wood-working machinery for "Barnes Tool Co., 958 Grand st., N. Haven Conn."
• 1922 The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer lists "Ready Tool Co Capital $100,000, Inc 1908 Thomas Fish Pres; Harold Fish Sec and Treas; Tool holders lathe dogs &c. 25 employees".
• 1932 Barnes Tool Co. "condensed catalog" of one page, extracted from the 1932-33 Domestic Engineering Plumbing & Heating Catalog.
• American Foot Power and Hand Power Machineryby Kenneth L. Cope, 2001 page 15.
A hand-cranked tablesaw from this maker was reported. An 1891 patent was granted to Elbridge F. Barnes for a boring attachment to a sawing machine.
• We have not been able to confirm that Ready Tool Co. took over Barnes Tool Co.; we assume they did because a 1910 patent granted to George A. Barnes (previously associated with Barnes Tool Co.) was assigned to the Ready Tool Co. It is also possible that Barnes Tool Co. had wound down and George found other employment.
• A genealogy search provided the relationship between Elbridge and George, who we knew were both involved in the company from patent records. One source provides an exact birth date for Elbridge and shows that George was not a son. Another source shows that the two men were sons of Asa and Marcia (née Strickland) Barnes.