History Of Locks - Sargent & Greenleaf

Sargent & Greenleaf are arguably the second most well known lock industry brand. Right behind Yale. Their history dates back to 1857, when young James Sargent, an engineer with Yale & Greenleaf, decided to branch out on his own with his invention, a magnetic dial combination lock.

Halbert Greenleaf was the partner and financier (known today as Venture Capitalist) of Linus Yale Jr. Yes, the same Linus Yale Jr credited with the invention of the modern day pin tumbler lock cylinder system, which was awarded it's patent in 1865. Their joint company was called originally Yale & Greenleaf. Halbert Greenleaf ended his partnership with Linus Yale Jr. at the outset of the American Civil War to become an officer in the Union army. After completing his service, Halbert sought out his former employee James Sargent and decided to finance his company, creating what we know today as Sargent & Greenleaf.

The above 7 minute video gives a brief history of the evolution of the company from it's roots.

It is interesting to see in the video, some of the products that Sargent & Greenleaf produced, many of which are still in operation today in the field. Products like the reversible panic exit device, door security bolts, entrance door hardware, push/pull plates among others.

Below find a 15 minute industrial video from the 1950's that shows the production of Sargent & Greenleaf products.



In later years, Harry C Miller joined the company. Harry is well known throughout the worldwide locksmith industry as one of the most talented combination safe lock manipulators of his time. He is often credited as the inventor of the dial combination safe lock manipulation method. A method that talented locksmiths and cracksmen (the term for safe cracker) still use today to effectively gain entry to safes without any sign of damage.

In 1975, Harry C Miller moved the company from it's founding premises in Rochester New York to it's current home in Nicholasville Kentucky. In 1985, Harry sold the company to Security Group of Indianapolis. The new investment allowed S & G to expand their offerings and modernize their production facilities. The new investment encouraged the production of a super-high security padlock for the railway industry, to lock the track switching devices across all North American railroads.

In 2004, Security Group of Indianapolis was acquired by Stanley Security Group, one of the industries largest and most well known brands and S&G's future was cemented.

More in our series 'History Of Locks'

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