The Horton Manufacturing Company
On March 8, 1887, Everett Horton, a Bristol mechanic, patented a fishing rod of telescoping steel tubes. The rod was lightweight and compact, and the steel tubes protected the line from tangling and snagging on branches while hiking to a favorite fishing hole. The Horton Manufacturing Company later formed in Bristol and produced a complete line of steel fishing rods, from fly tackle to deep sea. Ads for Bristol rods were seen across the country in magazines from Field & Stream to Popular Mechanics.
