Hello, I'm watching an "Antiques Roadshow" right now, and they are in TN for this show. They were just showing a set of "cannons" which are on display in Chatten.... One of the cannons was made in 1840's ? in Springfield, MA, by Nathan T. AMES. I just looked him up on-line and found a few sites mentioning him, and there are many more. http://www.armscollectors.com/mgs/2_ames_artillery_swords_pt__1.htm http://books.google.com/books?id=7sAbIf9j_8QC&pg=PA289&lpg=PA289&dq=%22Nathan+Ames+Springfield%22&source=bl&ots=BGri7jFn8X&sig=xJEQ9vksBVe3IMFSEc0WVoC2k7Y&hl=en&ei=dYfYSYLHA4PWlQeTrMzVDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2 http://newenglandtravels.blogspot.com/2009/03/ames-manufacturing-company-civil-war.html http://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=PA188&lpg=PA188&dq=%22Nathan+Ames+Springfield%22&source=bl&ots=sapDr8PBwI&sig=xmLzeRPZAkIyuacphZoadbs4KUU&hl=en&ei=dYfYSYLHA4PWlQeTrMzVDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8 http://www.civilwarartillery.com/manufacturers.htm http://books.google.com/books?id=x-jHvwHa0oAC&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=%22Nathan+T.+Ames,+Jr.%22&source=bl&ots=HKSIVW5zHg&sig=5ktycBDi15uNl3OCfQKR80HPkZE&hl=en&ei=TIvYSaigC6LtlQf8-v3BDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 *** I also found a few sites mentioning the AMES surname: http://john.rootsweb.ancestry.com/Ames/0768-l.html http://howardlanham.tripod.com/linkgr5/link200.html Here's an interesting Google / Book: http://books.google.com/books?id=MScDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=%22Nathan+T.+Ames,+Jr.%22&source=bl&ots=iA_Ks-PJkl&sig=XEmf5-qfKOPdF_Wmxr3iHS86y_E&hl=en&ei=TIvYSaigC6LtlQf8-v3BDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7 Betty (near Lowell, MA)