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In 1855, E. G. Lamson, A. F. Goodnow and B. B. Yale joined together to form the Lamson, Goodnow and Yale company. Together they purchased the bankrupt Robbins and Lawrence Armory in Windsor, Vermont, to make guns. The Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Company of Windsor, Vermont and Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, received two contracts from the federal government for a special Colt model 1861, .54 caliber rifle musket, like this one. The company delivered nearly 2,000 guns per month from September 24, 1862, to December 10, 1864, for a total of 50,000 arms during the Civil War. Parts were interchangeable with these and Colt musket parts. These arms were marked on the lockplates in front of the hammer, with an eagle over "U.S.," and "L.G.&Y" over "Windsor Vt," in two lines, under the bolster, and were dated behind the hammer, 1862. During the Civil War, the company was also one of the largest U. S. cutlery manufacturers, employing more than 500 workers at various times. The partnership dissolved after the Civil War.

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