author
James Hartness
1861–1934
An inventive force from Vermont’s machine-tool boom, this engineer-governor brought the same curiosity to politics, aviation, and astronomy that he brought to the workshop. His life blends practical know-how with a restless interest in how things work.
1 Audiobook
Industrial Progress and Human Economics
by James Hartness
About the author
Born in Schenectady, New York, in 1861, James Hartness built his career in Springfield, Vermont, where he rose from machinist to president of the Jones & Lamson Machine Company. He became known as an inventor and mechanical engineer, especially for advances in machine tools that helped shape modern manufacturing.
His interests reached far beyond industry. Hartness was also an early aviator and an amateur astronomer, and he supported telescope making and scientific curiosity in his community. That mix of technical skill and public spirit made him a notable figure in Vermont civic life.
From 1921 to 1923, he served as the 58th governor of Vermont. He died in 1934, remembered as a business leader, inventor, and public servant whose career connected engineering, innovation, and state leadership.