"NATHAN F. BURNHAM, York. was born in the city of New York March 13, 1822, and is of English-Irish and French descent. His father was a millwright, and with him Nathan F. worked at the trade in Orange County, N. Y., until he was sixteen years old. He then commenced learning the watch-maker’s business, which he was obliged to relinquish after three years on account of his health. He then went to Laurel, Md., in 1844, and engaged with Patuxent & Co. as mercantile clerk and bookkeeper. In 1856 he commenced the manufacture of French turbine water-wheels. In 1859 he sold out his Laurel interests and came to York, commenced manufacturing his own patents, and here has since resided. May 22, 1883. he founded the Drovers’ & Mechanics’ National Bank of York and was elected its first president, which position he still holds. In 1881, with others, he built the York Opera House at a cost of $40,000; it was opened in 1882. Mr. Burnham was married July 3. 1850. to Ann Eliza Gray, of Maryland; she died a few years later, leaving one child, Horace H., born September 10, 1851, and died January 28, 1857. Mr. Burnham’s second marriage took place June 8, 1854, with Mrs. Delilah Israel, nee Jones; she bore him the following children: Ann Elmirah, born January 21, 1856 died March 6. 1861; Frank A., born August 18, 1858; William H., born September 21, 1860. Mrs. Delilah Burnham died May 1, 1881, aged forty-eight years, six months and twenty-eight days. Mr. Burnham has been constantly engaged in manufacturing and selling turbine wheels since 1856, and is the inventor and patentee of several, which are used in nearly every country in the world; among them may be mentioned the following. Improved Jonval Turbine, patented February 22, 1859; New Turbine Water Wheel, patented March 3, 1868; Improved New Turbine Wheel, patented March 9, 1871; Standard Turbine Wheel, patented March 31, 1874; Improved Standard Turbine, patented March 27, 1883. Burnham Bros., Mr. Burnham’s sons, took charge of the Standard Turbine Wheel business October 1, 1881, and since then Mr. Burnham has devoted his time to the improvement of the standard turbine wheel, which, after many experiments, he has made to run on either a vertical or horizontal shaft, and to discharge a larger amount of water and get a better percentage of power from the water used. This Improved Turbine, discharging one-half more water, with full gate drawn, yields as great a percentage for the water used as the Standard; and when one half the water is used, which each is capable of discharging at full gate, the gain is sixteen per cent over the Standard. During the past year lie has had four experimental wheels tested at Holyoke, much to his satisfaction, both in manner of testing and percentage obtained. This Improved Standard Turbine is guaranteed equal to any other make of turbine in the economical use of water at either full or part drawn gate. Mr. Burnham is a Knight Templar and is Past Master of the I. O. O. F. and Past Sachem of Red Men." (Quote from 1886)

      In 1877, Nathan F.Burnham and the Isaac Broomell founded the Christiana Machine Company in 1878.

Information Sources

• History of York County, Pennsylvania, 1886, pg. 11