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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 231

WASHINGTON, D.C.

1964

Publications of the United States National Museum

The scholarly publications of the United States National Museum include two series, Proceedings of the United States National Museum and United States National Museum Bulletin.

In these series are published original articles and monographs dealing with the collections and work of the Museum and setting forth newly acquired facts in the fields of anthropology, biology, geology, history, and technology. Copies of each publication are distributed to libraries and scientific organizations and to specialists and others interested in the various subjects.

The Proceedings, begun in 1878, are intended for the publication, in separate form, of shorter papers. These are gathered in volumes, octavo in size, with the publication date of each paper recorded in the table of contents of the volume.

In the Bulletin series, the first of which was issued in 1875, appear longer, separate publications consisting of monographs (occasionally in several parts) and volumes in which are collected works on related subjects. Bulletins are either octavo or quarto in size, depending on the needs of the presentation. Since 1902 papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum have been published in the Bulletin series under the heading Contributions from the United States National Herbarium.

FRANK A. TAYLOR, Director, United States National Museum.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402--Price $1.00 (Paper Cover)

EARLY AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

and Their Makers

SILVIO A. BEDINI

Curator of Mechanical and Civil Engineering

MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

WASHINGTON, 1964

Contents

Page

Acknowledgments ix

Preface xi

THE TOOLS OF SCIENCE 3 Philosophical and Practical Instruments 3 The Need for Instruments 6 Colonial Training in Instrument Making 8

THE MATHEMATICAL PRACTITIONERS 15 The Rittenhouse Brothers 15 Andrew Ellicott 19 Owen Biddle 21 Benjamin Banneker 22 Joel Baily 24 Reverend John Prince 24 Amasa Holcomb 26

INSTRUMENTS OF METAL 27 Pre-Revolutionary Immigrant Makers 27 Post-Revolutionary Immigrant Makers 30 Native American Makers 33 New Hampshire 34 Vermont 34 Massachusetts 36 Rhode Island 43 Connecticut 45 Ohio 49 New York 51 New Jersey 53 Delaware 54 Maryland and Virginia 54 Pennsylvania 58

INSTRUMENTS OF WOOD 65 The Use of Wood 65 Surviving Instruments 69 Compass Cards 75 Trade Signs 75 The Makers 80 Joseph Halsy 80 James Halsy II 84 Thomas Greenough 85 William Williams 93 Samuel Thaxter 97 John Dupee 104 Jere Clough 105 Andrew Newell 106 Aaron Breed 107 Charles Thacher 107 Benjamin King Hagger 109 Benjamin Warren 112 Daniel Burnap 117 Gurdon Huntington 118 Jedidiah Baldwin 123 Thomas Salter Bowles 124

THE NEW ERA 130