in 1833 William Moore and Ebenezer Colby, Jr. purchased an outdated cotton factory (the "Eagle Factory") in Peterborough, N. H., tore down the old buildings and built a modern machine shop. There is little information available on what machines Moore & Colby manufactured in their early years but cotton and woollen machinery likely predominated. In the Photo Index you will see a metal-working lathe that is marked "M & C" and attributed to this firm.

In 1834 or '35, a brother-in-law of Colby, William R. Bement, began a three-year apprenticeship at Moore & Colby. Only two years into Bement's apprenticeship, Colby elected to leave the firm and Bement's brother bought a stake in the business on behalf of William. From 1837 the business operated as Moore & Bement. Bement saw great potential in machine tools and he likely tried to push the business in that direction. However, after just a couple of years he left the partnership. Bement would go on to considerable fame and fortune as a machine tool manufacturer with Bement, Miles & Co.

Meanwhile, the Peterborough business continued to operate as William Moore until 1848 when Moore sold out to Morrison & Felt, which continued until 1851 when Granville P. Felt became sole proprietor. The business grew under Felt's ownership, with a product line consisting of cotton and woollen machinery plus woodworking machinery. He 1871 he switched their focus to the manufacture of pumps. In 1875 the business was destroyed by fire. Felt attempted to rebuild but so far as we can tell he was unsuccessful and the business disappeared.

Information Sources

• An Address Delivered at the Centennial Celebration, in Peterborough, N.H., by John Hopkins Morison, 1839. Available online through Google Books.

  ...The other Factories which have been or now are in town, carried by water, are the Eagle Facotry, Moore & Bement's Machine Shop,...

• Briggs & Co.'s New Hampshire Business Directory for the Year Commencing April 1, 1868 lists "Felt, G. P." of Peterborough under blacksmiths, iron founders, and "machinists and machinery manufacturers".
• New Hampshire Register and Political Manual for 1871 lists "G. P. Felt, machinist" as a Peterborough manufacturer.
• New Hampshire Register and Farmer's Almanac for 1872 lists "machinist, G. P. Felt" as a Peterborough manufacturer.
• New Hampshire Register, Farmer's Almanac and Business Directory for 1874 lists "machinist, G. P. Felt" as a Peterborough mechanic & artisan and "iron, G. P. Felt" as a manufacturer.
• D. L. Guernsey's The Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire, 1875, lists "Felt, G. P. Machinist" in Peterborough.
• History of the Town of Peterborough, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, by Albert Smith, 1876. Available online through Google Books.

  Eagle Factory—This building was erected in 1795 by Daniel Abbot, and was for many years occupied by him as a cabinet-shop, chair-factory, and dwelling-house. It was converted into a cotton factory by him and others, under the name of Eagle Factory, in 1813, and the machinery for it was built by Harris & Dodge, of Peterborough. It was many years under the charge of Thomas Baker, and finally was purchased by Joseph and Abisha Tubbs. In 1833 it was sold by them to Moore & Colby, who, in the summer of that year, removed the old buildings and built their machine-shop, where the business of building machinery has been carried on ever since.

  ...Machine-Shop and Foundry.—This is a large establishment in which all kinds of cotton, woollen, and woodworking machinery are manufactured. It stands on the site of the Eagle Factory, or original chair-factory, of Daniel Abbot. The business was first commenced here by Moore & Colby, in 1833, and subsequently carried on by William Moore. He sold out to Morrison & Felt, in 1848, who continued in business till 1851, when Granville P. Felt became sole proprietor, and greatly enlarged the same, and has carried it on extensively since. Mr. Felt added to the above, in 1865, a foundry, which escaped the conflagration of his works. In 1871, he commenced the manufacture of force and suction pumps, in which he has of late been largely engaged. He has employed from Twenty-five to thirty hands, and his business has amounted to $30,000 a year. The shop, with most of its valuable contents, was destroyed by fire, Nov. 16, 1875, at a loss of from $25,000 to $30,000.

  ...Nathaniel Holmes Morrison... In August, 1831... entered the machine-shop of Moore & Colby, where he spend two years and a half in learning the trade of a machinist.

  ...Joseph Tubbs, son of Capt. Joseph and Rhoda Henry Tubbs, was born in Marlow, Jan. 23, 1789... In 1814, in company with Thomas Baker, he purchased the Eagle Factory, which was located on the spot where Felt's machine-shop now stands, where they manufactured cotton yarns, battings, candle wicking, etc. They continued business some years, when Mr. Baker retired, and Joseph Tubbs associated with him his brother Abisha, under the firm of J. & A. Tubbs. The continued in business until the invention of the power-loom, which necessitated an entire change of machinery. The machinery of the factory being much worn, they did not deem it advisable to add looms, but sold the mill and site to Moore & Colby, March 30, 1833, who converted the same into a machine-shop.

  ...Granville Parker Felt. He received his education in the common schools. He learned the machinist's trade of Gay, Silver & Co., North Chelmsford, Mass., and first engaged in business in Peterborough in company with Josiah S. Morrison, they having bought out William Moore's machine-shop. They manufacturing cotton and woolen machinery, and woodworking machines. Mr. Felt bought out his partner in 1851, and has since conducted the business alone. He built a foundry just west of his shop, in 1865, in which he has done much business. In 1871 he commenced the manufacture of force and suction pumps, in which business he is now largely engaged. He has constantly employed from twenty-five to thirty hands, and his yearly business has amounted to $30,000 a year.

  On Tuesday Nov. 16, 1874, his shop took fire about 11 P. M., and was entirely consumed, with a large amount of stock and almost all his valuable tools. The loss cannot be less than twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars, with only a small insurance. Being a man of indomitable perseverance, he again immediately resumed his business in the shop opposite his works, which had fortunately been preserved by the conflagration, and will no doubt again recover what he has lost. ...

• Farley's Directory of the Metal Workers of the United States, 1883, lists "Felt, Granville P." as a Peterborough machinist and iron founder.
• History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Volume 3, by John Thomas Scharf and Thompson Westcott, 1884. Available online through Google Books.

  William Barnes Bement... [in 1834] became an apprentice in a machine-shop at Peterborough, N. H., to serve three years, but at the expiration of two years his brother bought an interest for him, and he was taken into the firm, which had previously been Moore & Colby, and then became Moore & Bement. From 1837 to 1839 he was engaged in making machinery for cotton- and woolen-mills, and in 1850 he removed to Manchester, N. H., where he remained for two years in the Amoskeag machine shops...

• Proceedings of the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration Held at Peterborough, N.H Thursday Oct. 24, 1889, published 1890.

  An Address Delivered ... by Nathaniel Holmes... There were and still are other active and able men in this industries, not to be overlooked, although I can but name some few of them... then there was the old "Eagle" factory of Daniel Abbot, Thomas Baker, and Joseph and Abisha Tubbs (now replaced by another), and their successors, Moore & Colby, or William Moore, for many years a prosperous builder of machinery and a substantial citizen...

• The 1897-10-14 Iron Age has an obituary of William Barnes Bement.

  In 1834, with a view to obtaining a thorough training in the business for which he had a natural genius, he apprenticed himself to Moore & Colby of Peterborough, N. H., manufacturers of cotton and woolen machinery. From this position he advanced so rapidly that before he was quite 20 years of age he became superintendent of the works, and shortly afterward entered the firm, having acquired the interest of Mr. Colby in the business. The firm then became known as Moore & Bement. His connection with the firm lasted three years, during which time he expanded the equipment of the works by the addition of special tools and fixtures of hs own invention. In 1840, wishing to enter a broader field, he severed his connection with teh firm and engaged with the Amoskeag Machine Works, in Manchester, N. H., which at the time of his engagement were in course of completion...

• 1914-12-17 American Machinist, in an article on "Early American Mechanics".

  William R. Bement... apprenticed to Moore & Colby, manufactures of woolen and cotton machinery, at Peterboro, N. H. His progress at first was rapid. Within two years he became foreman, and on the withdrawal of one of the partners was admitted into the firm. He continued there three years, already giving much thought to machine tools, for which he saw the rising need. In 1840 he went to Manchester and entered the Amoskeag shop...

• From a Colby genealogy forum posting.

  Ebenezer COLBY, Jr., b. 2 Mar 1795 [BVR1:227]. He m. 23 Feb 1820 in Bradford [BVR1:329] Persis BEMENT, dau of Samuel and Lucy (BARNES) BEMENT who was b. 12 Jan 1801 in Tunbridge, Orange, VT [VTVR], and d. Aug 1856 in Galien, Berrien, MI [Bement Chronicles in America 264]. A Family Bible indicates her name at birth was Percy {F.L. COLBY, 22 Nov 1913} [Bement Chronicles in America 264]. On 13 Dec 1824 Ebenezer was a yeoman of Bradford when he and brother Jacob sold Bradford land to John PRESBURY, yeoman of Bradford [MerrDeeds20:88/89]. On 28 Apr 1827 he and Persis were of Peterboro when they sold Bradford land with his brother to Cyrus CRESSEY & al [MerrDeeds16:199].

  Daniel ABBOTT erected the Eagle Factory in 1795 in Peterborough, which he ran as a cabinet and chair making shop. It became a cotton factory in 1813 and then changed hands several times, eventually being sold to Moore & Colby in 1833. In the summer of 1833 they removed the buildings and built a machine shop which was still manufacturing machinery in 1876 [HistPeterboro1:199]. From family papers and letters, it would seem that some years previous to 1837, Ebenezer COLBY and William MOORE [HistPeterboro2:173] purchased a mill in Peterborough, which they converted into a plant for manufacturing machinery. This business continued until 1837, when Mr. COLBY sold out to Mr. MOORE, or to his brother-in-law, William Barnes BEMENT, who for two years had been associated with the manufactory, and the firm, which had previously been Moore & Colby, became Moore & Bement. Subsequently, Mr. COLBY became a resident of Galien, Berrien Co., Michigan [Bement Chronicles in America 264].

• Early families of Bradford, New Hampshire, by Bradford Historical Society, 2004.

  Daniel Abbott erected the Eagle Factory in 1795 in Peterboro, which he ran as a cabinet and chair making shop. It became a cotton factory in 1833 and then changed hands several times, eventually being sold to Moore & Colby in 1833. In the summer of 1833 they removed the buildings and built a machine shop which was still manufacturing machinery in 1876. It would seem that some years previous to 1837, Ebenezer Colby and William Moore purchased a mill in Peterboro, which they converted into a plant for manufacturing machinery. They business continued until 1837, when Mr. Colby sold out to Mr. Moore, or to his brother-in-law, William Barnes Bement, who for two years had been associated with the manufactory, and the firm, which had previously been Moore & Colby, became Moore & Bement. Subsequently, Mr. Colby became a resident of Galien, Berrien, Co., Michigan.

• From a Colby family genealogy page.

  Ebenezer D. COLBY was born on 2 MAR 1795 in Bradford, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. (SOURCE: Index to births, early to 1900 New Hampshire. Registrar of Vital Statistics.) He died on 27 MAR 1857 at Galien, Berrien County, Michigan. He was buried in the Posey Chapel Cemetery at Galena, La Porte County, Indiana
  From family papers and letters, it would seem that some years previous to 1837, Ebenezer Colby and William Moore purchased a mill at Peterboro, New Hampshire, which they converted into a plant for manufacturing machinery. This business continued until 1837, when Mr. Colby sold out to Mr. Moore, or to his brother-in-law, William Barnes Bement, who for two years had been associated with the manufactory, and the firm, which had previously been Moore + Colby, became Moore + Bement. Subsequently, Mr. Colby became a resident of Galien, Berrien Co., Michigan. (Source: Chronicles of the Bement Family in America; 1928, p. 264)