Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co.
New Bedford, MA

The following information is from the Directory of American Toolmakers, 1999, pg. 557.

The Morse Twist Drill & Machine Company was founded by Stephen A. Morse and located in New Bedford, MA from 1864 to 1990.  They made bits, dies, drill chucks and drills.  They used the marks MORSE and M.T.D.&M.Co.  Their name was also recorded as Morse Twist Drill & Mfg. Co.


The following information is from a New Bedford Sunday Standard-Times 1964 article.

Stephen Morse developed the idea of creating a twisted drill consisting of two parallel spiral grooves with a straight cutting edge.  Prior to this, drills were made from a flat piece that was pointed and sharp.  He began manufacturing drills in October of 1861 with a small shop.  His original patent, No. 38119, is dated April 7, 1863.

You can see this patent on the DATMP website.

Listing of companies purchased by Morse:
 

1871 American Standard Tool Company Danbury, CT Listed also on Morse Cutting Tools website history page 
1871 Standard Tool Company Newark, NJ Sayer lists this company (looks like it may be an error as it seems to combine the one above and below).
-- Manhattan Fire Arms Company Newark, NJ Listed on Morse Cutting Tools website history page
1874 New York Tap and Die Company Bridgeport Listed also on Morse Cutting Tools website history page
1879 New York Twisted Drill Company Brooklyn
1885 Rockford Twist Drill and Patent Company Rockford, IL
1897 T & B Tool Company Danbury, CT Listed also on Morse Cutting Tools website history page

In 1923 the Van Norman Machine Company of Springfield, MA, purchased the Morse company.  In 1964, Universal American Corp. was the parent company.
The following information is from Sayer's New Bedford, pg. 253-6.

Stephen Morse's original shop of 1861 was in East Bridgewater.  He moved to New Bedford in June of 1864 because he was able to aquire enough interested capital to set up a new shop there.

According to the Morse Cutting Tools website: "The current owners, a group of American investors, purchased the company from a Scottish manufacturing concern, and are committed to upholding the Morse reputation for high-quality, American-made cutting tools."
References
The Morse twist-drill. The Manufacturer and Builder.
The Morse Twist Drill Co. and its products. The Manufacturer and Builder.
Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co. Machinist's practical guide.
100 years of leadership in metal cutting. The New Bedford Sunday Standard-Times.
Sayer, William L. Ed. New Bedford: Massachusetts: Its history, industries, institutions, and attractions.
Links
New Bedford Museum Photos of the Factories (flickr)
Morse Cutting Tools: History
Darex Stay Sharp: History and design problems of drills