According to a 1944 catalog from this firm, "In 1827 a schooner sailed into Boston loaded with the finest natural grindstones available. The cargo was consigned to Lombard & Company. And with the first load began the reputation that has identified the Lombard name with grindstones of unquestioned quality for more than a century..."

The earliest record we can find is from the 1838 Boston Almanac, which mentions a shipping company, A. C. Lombard & Co., at 13 and 14 Lewis wharf in Boston. By 1840 there is also a "Lombard & Hall" at 13 Lewis wharf. The earliest mention of the Lombard name in association with grindstones is in the 1848-9 Boston Directory which listed "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wharf" as providing Grindstones. The latest mention of Lombard & Hall that we find is in 1851; by 1854 we see the name "Lombard & Co." at 13 Lewis wharf, and listed as a provider of grindstones.

It is unclear at what point Lombard & Co. (or its predecessors) went beyond providing just grindstones, and began making "mounted grindstones", which puts a circular grindstone on a frame with foot treadle or hand crank. An 1866 ad has an illustration of a set of grindstones in a rack, whereas a competitor's ad (T. N. Breed of Lynn, Mass.), shows two grindstones in frames with hand cranks.

The business survived into the 1960s, at least, but the data gets quite thin after World War II and we don't know whether they went out of business or were acquired.

Information Sources

• From Boston Business Directories and the like:
  • 1836 Boston Almanac does not mention anything related to Lombard & Co.
  • 1838 Boston Almanac, Pages 54-55, providers of Packet services, A. C. Lombard & Co., 13 and 14 Lewis wharf", to Alexandria, Charleston, New Orleans.
  • 1840 Boston Almanac lists, on page 85, "Alexandria—A. C. Lombard & Co., 13 and 14 Lewis wharf." Page 65, under Commission Merchants, "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1843 Boston Almanac lists on page 48, "A. C. Lombard & Co. & P. H. Pierce Jr. 14 Lewis's wharf" as providing packet service to Alexandria, Charleston, New Orleans and Savannah. "I. Winslow & Son and Lombard & Whitmore, Lewis's wf." provided service to London and Boston.
  • 1845 Boston Almanac lists on page 64, in the Business Directory section under Commission Merchants, "Lombard, A. C. & Co. 13 Lewis wf. / Lombard & Whitmore, 19 Lewis wf." On page 140 is a list of losses from fire, including one on 1845-01-14 where A. C. Lombard & Co. suffered a loss of $3,500, of which $3,000 was insured.
  • 1846 Boston Almanac lists, on page 132, "A. C. Lombard & Co., 13 & 14 Lewis wf." as providing packet service to Alexandria, Baltimore, Charleston, and Cohasset. On page 67, in the Business Directory section under Commission Merchants, is listed "Lombard, A. C. 31 Lewis wf. / Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wf. / Lombard & Whitmore, 19 Lewis wf." On page 140 is a list of losses from fire, including one on 1845-01-14 where A. C. Lombard & Co. suffered a loss of $3,500, of which $3,000 was insured.
  • 1848 City Directory of Boston. Page 311, under Grindstones: "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wharf".
  • 1848-9 The Boston Directory. Page 311, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wharf". Page 299, under Commission Merchants, "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wharf".
  • 1850-51 Massachusetts State Directory. Page 151, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wharf Boston". Page 112, under Commission Merchants, "Lombard, A. C. 31 Lewis wharf / Lombard & Hall 13 ditto".
  • 1851 Boston Almanac. Page 60, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Hall, 13 Lewis wf." Page 73, under Merchants, "Lombard A. C. & Co. 5 Lewis w / Lombard & Whitmore 85 State". Page 92, under Stoves, Grates, etc., "Rice & Lombard, 12 & 13 Lewis". Page 95, under Tin Plate & Sheet Iron Workers, "Rice & Lombard, Lewis, E. B."
  • 1852 Massachusetts Register. Page 194, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1854 Boston Directory. Page 351, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1855 Boston Directory. Page 345, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1856 Boston Directory. Page 385, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1857 Boston Directory. Page 402, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wf."
  • 1860 Boston Directory. Page 457, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wharf".
  • 1863 Boston Directory. Page 416, under Commissions, "Lombard & Co. 13 Lewis wharf". They are not listed under Grindstones.
  • 1864 Boston Directory. Page 20 has an ad, "Lombard & Co., Importers and Dealers of the best Nova Scotia & Newcastle Blue Grit Grindstones, No. 13 & 14 Lewis' Wharf".
  • 1866 Boston Directory. Page 618 is an ad from Lombard & Co., No.s 13 & 14 Lewis' Wharf and No. 9, T Wharf, Boston, "Importers & dealers in the best Newcastle & Nova Scotia Blue Grit Grindstones". Page 284, in the Boston directory section, "Lombard (Ephraim) & Co. (J. H. Lombard), com. merchants and grindstones, 13 Lewis wharf and 9 T wharf, house 22 Hancock. Ephraim Lombard, Jr., is listed as a bookkeeper at 13 Lewis wharf, boards 22 Hancock.
  • 1867 Boston Directory. Page 317, "Lombard & Co. (Ephraim and Jacob H. Lombard), com. mer. and grindstones, 13 Lewis wharf and 9 T wharf".
  • 1872 Boston Directory. Page 452, "Lombard & Co. (Ephraim, Jacob H. and Ephraim Lombard, jr.), com. mer. and grindstones, 13 Lewis wharf corner Atlantic avenue".
  • 1873 Boston Directory. Page 470, "Lombard & Co. (Ephraim, Jacob H. and Ephraim Lombard, jr.), com. mer. and grindstones, 13 Lewis wharf corner Atlantic avenue".
  • 1878 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 268, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co., Lewis wharf, cor. Atlantic av".
  • 1879 Boston Directory. Page 1048, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co., Lewis wharf, cor. Atlantic av". On page 1283 is an ad, "Lombard & Co., Importers and Dealers in Building Stone, and the Best Newcastle and Nova Scotia Blue Grit Grindstones. Lewis Wharf, cor. Atlantic Avenue. A large assortment, Rough and Finished, constantly on hand. Stones cut to order."
  • 1880 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 287, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co., Lewis wharf, cor. Atlantic av." Page 245, under Commission Merchants, "Lombard & Co., 53 Atlantic av., cor. Lewis wharf".
  • 1884 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 301, under Grindstones, "Lombard & Co., Lewis wharf, cor. Atlantic av." Page 221, under Ship Brokers, "Lombard's A. C. Sons, 53 State, and 37 Lewis whf." Same firm listed page 251 under Commission Merchants.
  • 1888 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 318, under Grindstones, Lombard & Co. 161 Pearl".
  • 1889 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 317, under Grindstones, Lombard & Co. 161 Pearl, yeard at Boston Wharf, near Congress-st. bridge".
  • 1891 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 314, under Grindstones, Lombard & Co. 161 Pearl, yard at Boston wharf, near Congress-st. bridge." Page 266, under Commission Merchants, "Lombard's A. C. Sons, 14 Lewis wharf, and 150 State (shipping) / Lombard & Co. 161 Pearl".
  • 1891 Boston Directory. Page 806, "Lombard & Co. (Ephraim Lombard, jr.), commission merchants and grindstones, 161 Pearl".
  • 1893 Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Page 314, under Grindstones, Lombard & Co. 2 Sleeper." This firm is also listed under Agricultural Implements & Stores, Commission Merchants, and Machinery and Tools.
  • 1896 Boston Register and Business Directory. Page 929, "Lombard & Co. (Ephraim Lombard, John C. McGill), commission merchants and dealers in grindstones, 2 Sleeper".
  • 1904 City Directory of Boston. Page 970, "Lombard & Co. (John H. McGill, Charles H. Greeley) com. mer. and grindstone dealers, 238 A. S. B."
  • 1922 Boston Directory. Page 1910, under Grindstones, Lombard & Co. Inc 236 and 238 A." On pages 1118-9 John H. McGill is listed as president of Lombard & Co., Walter L. McGill is listed as secretary, and William H. McGill is listed as treasurer. G. Lanza Davison was a clerk and Philip L. Pottle was a salesman.
• 1851 London Great Exhibition, Official Catalogue. Page 1462, in a list of exhibitors, "Lombard & Hall, Boston. A grindstone."
• A beautiful undated but ca. 1900 black and white photograph of a store front with sign reading "236 / Lombard & Co. Grindstones / 238". The location is probably 236-238 A Street near Binford Street, which as of 2022 is a parking lot.
• 1906-7 Sessional Papers of the Third Session of the Tenth Parliament of the Dominion of Canada. Page 88, in a report from the Geological Survey of Canada on quarries in New Brunswick. "Between Clifton and Stonehaven is a quarry formerly worked by Lombard & Co. This quarry has, however, been abandoned for the present, and the company has opened a new quarry at Grande Anse about 10 miles further along the cost, where the usual machinery, gang saw and lathes, for finishing the stone is set up. This quarry is being worked by Messrs. McGill & Co., for Lombard & Co. of Boston."
• 1910 Annual Report of the Boston Chamber of Commerce. Page 350, in a list of members, "McGill, John H. / Lombard & Co., Grindstones & Com. Merchants".
• March 1927 The Paper Industry, in a collection of company biographies.

  Lombard & Company, Inc.

  Lombard & Company, Inc., Boston, Mass., have been manufacturers of pulpstones since 1869, but the firm was established in 1827, so that this year it is celebrating its 100th anniversary. When it is recalled that the process of grinding wood for the manufacturers of mechanical pulp dates no furtherback than 1867, so far as commercial operation in the United States is concerned, Lombard & Company may be fairly regarded as pioneers in the importation and manufacture of pulpstones...

  ...Mr. McGill, president and treasurer of Lombard & Company possesses an old photograph showing the Olin Scot grinder of the early days...

• In searching for post-World-War-II mentions of Lombard & Co., we find a 1947 mention of abrasives supplier Brierly, Lombard & Co. of Worcester, Mass.; other mentions suggests that Brierly Lombard was perhaps more of a retail operation. The 1967 Eastern Manufacturers' and Industrial Directory, page 54, lists "Lombard & Co Inc Winter Hill Sta Boston Mass. ..... PR 6-4110".