The Singer Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1863; twelve years after Isaac Merrit Singer (1811-1875) obtained patent no. 8294 on August 12, 1851 for his improved sewing machine. The machine took him less than 2 weeks to design and build. Singer was not interested in sewing machines or the sewing industry when he came to Boston in 1850 to promote and manufacture a wood carving machine he had invented. With his friend George Zieber, he obtained space in a small Boston machine shop. Singer's plan was to exhibit the wonders of his carving machine which he thought would revolutionize furniture making. It is reported that Singer's wood carving machine had been destroyed in an explosion. The machine shop owner, Orson Phelps, was becoming increasingly frustrated with repairs he was making on current sewing machines. Realizing what a master machinist Singer was, Phelps asked for his opinion on improving the machine. Singer immediately saw the weaknesses and soon had ideas for a better running machine. With capital supplied by George Zieber of $40.00, Singer had the model completed in 11 days.

The market was flooded with inferior sewing machines which had also been issued patents. Singer was sued by Elias Howe Jr. for patent infringement but would not pay the damages because Singer knew there was a patent issued prior to Howe’s' for a sewing machine - [Singer eventually paid Howe due to a lower court's ruling.] Isaac Singer met attorney Edward Clark in the 1850s, offering him partnership in Singer Manufacturing Company in exchange for Clark’s handling of all litigation. Noted attorney and entrepreneur Orlando B. Potter was president of Grover and Baker. The sewing machine war had begun and it was Potter that reportedly came up with the idea of forming a ‘patent pool’ by bringing together as many sewing machine patent holders and administering said patents as a commercial trust. By 1856, these four parties, I.M. Singer & Co., Wheeler, Wilson & Co., Grover & Baker, and Howe, owned the patents that covered the basic features of the sewing machine as a commercial product. Howe initially opposed it, but the others convinced him to join the patent pool by giving Howe special interests that included a royalty of $5 for each sewing machine sold in the United States and $1 for each sewing machine exported to foreign markets.

The patent pool lasted until 1877 when the last patent expired. The sewing machine war ended with Singer becoming the industry’s dominant manufacturer. I.M. Singer capitalized and was successful in building several new factories. The company also made it economically feasible to buy the new and improved machines by offering installment payment plans. As with televisions a century later, there was a sewing machine in almost every home across the country by the mid 1860s.