George Marsh began working for Samuel Terry in 1827 with the firm "Eli and Samuel Terry". In 1830, in Farmington, Marsh began building his own clocks while in partnership with William L. Gilbert, who was his brother-in-law, on land and in a building purchased from Chauncey Jerome. The firm was called "Marsh, Gilbert & Co." Marsh bought out Gilbert in August of 1830.
They made wooden movement clocks there until 1833 or 1834, and then moved the business to Dayton, Ohio, where the business failed. The pair split up, with Marsh going into land speculation and Gilbert moving to Connecticut to start the Wm. Gilbert and Co. clockworks. Marsh got involved in land speculation in Mercer and Van Wert Counties. In fact, he was one of the founders of the city of Van Wert, buying up military pension land grants from Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans, which were often brokered for pennies on the dollar. Veterans could claim land from any federal lands in the midwest, with Ohio and Illinois being very popular locations. Brokers and speculators would buy these scrips, and complete the claims at the claim offices near the claimed land.
In 1858, Gilbert persuaded Chauncey Jerome to set up shop in one of his factories to build clocks. Since Jerome had been nearly bankrupted and sold the Jerome trademark, he could not build clocks with his own name. Gilbert had a nephew (the son of his brother-in-law) who also happened to be named George Marsh, so they built clocks using Gilbert brass works, Jerome cases, under the label of George Marsh.
They made wooden movement clocks there until 1833 or 1834, and then moved the business to Dayton, Ohio, where the business failed. The pair split up, with Marsh going into land speculation and Gilbert moving to Connecticut to start the Wm. Gilbert and Co. clockworks. Marsh got involved in land speculation in Mercer and Van Wert Counties. In fact, he was one of the founders of the city of Van Wert, buying up military pension land grants from Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans, which were often brokered for pennies on the dollar. Veterans could claim land from any federal lands in the midwest, with Ohio and Illinois being very popular locations. Brokers and speculators would buy these scrips, and complete the claims at the claim offices near the claimed land.
In 1858, Gilbert persuaded Chauncey Jerome to set up shop in one of his factories to build clocks. Since Jerome had been nearly bankrupted and sold the Jerome trademark, he could not build clocks with his own name. Gilbert had a nephew (the son of his brother-in-law) who also happened to be named George Marsh, so they built clocks using Gilbert brass works, Jerome cases, under the label of George Marsh.
