David Dalzell apprenticed with Robinson & Vanderbilt in Albany, New York. Soon, he began working for himself, contracting with James Gould in Hudson. David bought a carriage shop in Egremont, Massachusetts in 1845. His proximity to the Berkshire County iron furnaces provided high quality iron. David bought a metal lathe and began making his own axles. Demand grew for his axles until that became his sole product. The company became D Dalzell & Sons in 1868 when David Jr. and William C joined their father. Roscoe C Taft joined in 1880. The company became the Dalzell Axle Company. Incorporation was in 1884 and they prospered until 1906. The company was not able to compete in the new automobile market. Henry Timken had developed the roller bearing in 1899. This became the primary application in automobiles. The Cleveland Axle Company bought Dalzell in 1909.
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