In the late 1800s, Frank Curtis, a French-Canadian immigrant, lived in West Brattleboro with his wife and 11 children. He was originally a successful cabinet maker who became interested in machinery. Frank designed and built an automatic screw machine in 1871 that proved to be a labor-saving innovation. The machine was sold to a local businessman, Henry Devens, who invested in it and helped market the invention. This led to the development of the machine’s patent and the production of more machines. Frank and some of his older sons continued to improve the machine, and the business eventually expanded to other products. In the mid-1880s, Frank moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, and his son later started the Curtis Screw Company in Buffalo, New York. This company became a successful manufacturer of precision machined metal components and continues to operate today as part of MacLean Curtis, with sales of $90 million a year and a focus on automotive and heavy truck industries. The original automatic screw machine that Frank Curtis invented in West Brattleboro 150 years ago is responsible for producing parts found in many vehicles around the world today.

Source: https://www.reformer.com/history/local-history-machining-empire-started-with-brattleboros-immigrant-tinkerer/article_3b7cd38a-7f2a-11ee-8ef5-2f6c53494dc7.html