James Hartness & Precision Valley Inventors

Newly arrived in Springfield in 1889 to work at the Jones and Lamson Machine Company, James Hartness soon rose to president and played a vital role in the creation of Precision Valley. Internationally respected in the machine tool industry, he was president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, wrote extensively on company management issues, served as Governor of Vermont from 1920 to 1922, founded the Hartness State Airport, held over 120 patents including the Flat Turret Lathe, and was an amateur astronomer. Other early Springfield inventors included Adna Brown, William L. Bryant, Noah Safford, Amasa Woolson, Joel A.H. Ellis, A.J. Fullam, Jesse Warren, David M. Smith, and F.B. Gilman.

Springfield, Vermont · United States