Barnes, W F & John short history.

W. F. & John Barnes Co. was established 1869, made a formal partnership in 1872, and incorporated in 1884. This company was an early manufacturer of pedal-powered equipment. (By 1881 they were also making powered machinery.) There were many companies making lightweight foot-powered equipment, but Barnes and the Seneca Falls Co. were the only ones to also make professional-grade machines. From the beginning of their existence, they focused on pedal-powered machinery, especially scroll saws. By 1937 their focus had completely shifted to automotive assembly machinery, and their production of foot-powered machinery had ceased. In the intervening years they have got out of manufacturing completely.

After a series of ownership changes, their parts and paper were purchased in 1998 by LeBlond Ltd. of Amelia, OH.