Aaron Davis, son of Aaron, a Revolutionary soldier (who lived with his son here in Keene), was born in Peacham, Vt., in 1788; came to Keene when a young man; was a blacksmith, large and muscular; married Rebecca Nourse, of Keene; partner with John Towns in a shop on Main street near the present railroad station; bought the water privilege at South Keene in 1824; built a shop with a trip-hammer (first in this vicinity) and made hoes, axes and other tools; built an iron foundry and made ploughs, and, later, took William Lamson in as partner in the manufacture of firearms. Charcoal was the principal fuel, but anthracite 'was used for melting iron-brought up the Connecticut river in vessels and hauled thence with teams. Iron ore was hauled from Vermont at a cost of $60 per ton, delivered. About 1836, he formed a partner ship with Thomas M. Edwards and George Page; turned his hoe factory into a machine shop; J. A. Fay and Edward Joslin joined, and the manufacture of wood-working machinery, which has since been so profitable and so largely developed, was begun. Messrs. Davis, Page and Edwards afterwards sold out, and Fay and Joslin, under the firm name of J. A. Fay & Co., continued the business.
Mr. Davis had nine children, born between 1816 and 1835. Francis, the fourth, married Sophronia Nourse, of Keene; Ellen Rebecca married Francis E. Keyes, of Keene.
Mr. Davis died in 1857. aged sixty-nine.