George H. Fox & Co. was founded in about 1845 on Kingston Street in Boston. By the mid-1850s they were making steam engines and brass lathes, among other products.

Advertisement from 1855 Boston Directory

Francis W. Bacon was a partner by 1855, and by 1856 the firm was operating variously under the original name and as Bacon & Hubbard with new partner Charles D. Hubbard. By 1861 Hubbard had been replaced by B. F. Radford and was operating variously as the original name and Bacon & Radford. By the beginning of 1863, F. W. Bacon & Co. was the New York agent for the Fox lathe and other products. Meanwhile, George Fox had started another company, also named George H. Fox & Co., that provided steam and gas fittings; this business operated out of a building on Congress.

Part of an advertisement from the 1857 Boston Directory

As if all that wasn't confusing enough, Fox was operating—out of the same premises on Kingston Street—the American Nut and Arms Co., which made hex nuts plus pistols, revolvers and shotguns. He also seems to have done business as United States Standard Nut Co., from the same address of course, and also as American Arms Co. In his later years Mr. Fox was awarded over a dozen patents, mostly related to firearms, but also including a sewing machine, shoe machinery, ladders, belting, and buttons.

The machinery manufacturing incarnation was reorganized as the American Tool & Machine Co. in 1864.

Information Sources

• An owwm.org discussion about a mystery lathe identifies the lathe as by this maker. The discussion provides some interesting background on the company that aided the research given here.
• American Lathe Builders: 1810-1910 by Kenneth L. Cope, 2001 page 60
• The 1847 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox as a machinist, "Charles, c. Cambridge".
• The 1851 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox as a machinist, "Charles, c. Cambridge".
• The 1851 Boston Directory lists Geo. H. Fox as a machinist at 20 Kingston, house at 14 Charles.
• The 1853 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox as a machinist at 43 Kingston.
• The 1854 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co., machinists at 43 & 45 Kingston.
• The 1855 Boston Directory lists "Fox Geo. H. & Co. (Francis W. Bacon), machinists, at 45 Kingston, b. 26 L Grange place".
• The 1855 Annual Report of the Boston Fire Department lists a fire at 43 Kingston Street on January 5, 1855 that affected Oliver P. Drake and George H. Fox & Co., with $3,163 damage, due to a "defect in the chimney".
• The 1856 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co., 45 Kingston, as mechanical engineers. They were listed at 43 & 45 Kingston as machinists.
• The 1856 Boston Directory lists "Fox Geo. H. machinist, 45 Kingston, b. 26 La Grange place". The same issue lists "Bacon (Francis W.) & Hubbard (Charles D.), engineers' and machinists' tools, 45 Kingston".
• The 1857 Boston Directory lists "Fox Geo. H. & Co., machinists, 127 Congress". They were listed in the business directory in the categories of Steam & Gas Pipe, Gas Fittings & Fixtures, and Machinists.
• The 1858 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co. at 127 Congress Street. The firm was also listed as a provider of steam and gas pipe.
• The 1859 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co. as machinists, having agents at 45 Kingston.
• The 1860 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co. as machinists at 45 Kingston.
• The 1861 Boston Directory lists "Fox Geo. H. & Co. (F. W. Bacon and B. F. Radford), engineers and machinists, 45 Kingston, house 372½ Washington. The same ad appears in this edition as appeared in the 1862 and 1864 editions.
• The 1862 Boston Directory carries an advertisement for Geo. H. Fox & Co. (see Images tab, above). The listing for the firm reads, "Fox George H. & Co. (F. W. Bacon and B. F. Radford), engineers and machinists, 45 Kingston, boards 8 Boylston place." The same ad and listing appeared in the 1864 edition of the Boston Directory.
• The 1864 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co. as machinists at 45 Kingston.
• The 1865 Boston Almanac lists Geo. H. Fox & Co. as machinists at 45 Kingston.
• The 1865-01-14 Scientific American has an article on F. W. Bacon & Co.'s patent steam blower. An advertisement in the same issue says, "For sale by the agent, F. W. Bacon & Co., 84 John street, New York."
• The 1867 Boston Almanac has no listings for Geo. H. Fox.
• The 1869 Boston Directory lists George H. Fox as "treas. Am. Nut and Arms Co., 47 Kingston, boards 34 Edinboro'". He was also listed as treasurer of the United States Standard Nut Co., same address.
• The 1869 Wentworth's Boston Commercial Directory lists "American Tool and Machine Co. B. F. Radford, agent, 45 Kingston".