This machinist and inventor apparently manufactured ornamental pattern wood lathes from 1882 until his death in 1888. We have not found any James Chase ads, and he was apparently even unwilling to pay for a listing in the Rochester Business Directory.

Information Sources

• Rochester City Directory listings:
  • 1868—not listed
  • 1869—Chase James house 96 N. St. Paul
  • 1870—Not listed
  • 1871—Chase James, machinist, house 65 Charlotte
  • 1872—Chase James, machinist, 65 Charlotte, h. do. (No listing in business directory)
  • 1873—Chase James, machinist, 65 Charlotte, h. do. (Listed in business directory under "Machinists")
  • 1874—Chase James, machinist, 65 Charlotte (No listing in business directory under "Machinists")
  • 1875—Chase James, machinist, 65 Charlotte (No listing in business directory under "Machinists")
  • 1877—Chase James, machinist, 65 Charlotte
  • 1878—Chase James, patent right, h. 65 Charlotte
  • 1879—Chase James, patent right, h. 65 Charlotte
  • 1880—Chase James & Co. chair manufs. 77 North Water, house 65 Charlotte (Listed in business directory under "Chair Manufacturers")
  • 1881—Chase James & Co. chair manufs. house 65 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory under "Chair Manufacturers")
  • 1882—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 65 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1882—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 65 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1883—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 65 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1884—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte; 65 (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1885—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1886—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1887—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1888—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte (Not listed in business directory)
  • 1889—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1890—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1891—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1892—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1893—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1894—Chase James, lathe manufacturer, house 84 Charlotte
  • 1895—No listing.
• We learned of this maker from patent records. One of Chase's patents is witnessed by F. H. Clement, an important machinery maker based in Rochester; it is possible that Chase worked for Clement, but Chase did not assign his patents to someone else. To the contrary, one patent was obtained by someone else and assigned to James Chase.