Simeon North (1763 - 1852) was a Middletown, Connecticut gun manufacturer, who developed America's first milling machine in 1818. 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the south-central part of the state, 16 miles (26 km) south of Hartford. ... A Milling machine is a power-driven machine used for the complex shaping of metal (or possibly other materials) parts. ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
{{North is now generaIly credited with the invention of the milling machine-the first entirely new type of machine invented in America and the machine that, by re- placing filing, made interchangeable parts practical. In 1795, North began to produce scythes in a mill adjacent to his farm in Berlin, Conn. Four years later, he obtained a contract to make pistols and began to add a factory to the mill building. By 1813, he signed a contract to produce 20,000 pistols that specified that parts had to be completely interchangeable between any of the 20,000---the first such contract of which any such evidence exists. The first known milling machine was in use by 1818. At about that time, North was sent to John H. Hall, superintendent at Harpers Ferry (Va.) Armory, to introduce his methods of achieving interchangeability. In 1828, North received a contract to produce 5,000 Hall rifles with parts interchangeable with those produced at Harpers Ferry. North had a 53-year contractual relationship with the War Dept. The report of Charles H. Fitch prepared for the 1880 Census credits North with a key role in developing manufacture with interchangeable parts.American Precision.Com}}
SimeonNorth (1763 - 1852) was a Middletown, Connecticut gun manufacturer, who developed America's first milling machine in 1818.
{{North is now generaIly credited with the invention of the milling machine-the first entirely new type of machine invented in America and the machine that, by re- placing filing, made interchangeable parts practical.
In 1795, North began to produce scythes in a mill adjacent to his farm in Berlin, Conn. Four years later, he obtained a contract to make pistols and began to add a factory to the mill building.
A native of Berlin, Connecticut, SimeonNorth was a successful manufacturer of scythes before he turned to gun making, eventually becoming one of the major suppliers of firearms to the United States military before the Civil War.
In 1799, North secured his first contract with the army, who ordered 500 of his flintlock pistols; the next year the order was increased to 1500.
After the war, North continued to create pistols that incorporated minor changes: an addition of a swivel ramrod, a safety catch slide on the hammer, and a brass foresight on the barrel.
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