[1] His father was a blacksmith who provided guns for the Revolutionary army,[2] and made a name for himself making shovels of high quality.

[4] Ames moved to Easton, Massachusetts, in 1803 and bought a nail-making business, and converted it into a shovel factory.

[1] This factory eventually grew into the Ames Shovel Works, a major business in Easton, and the source of a great family fortune.

[citation needed] From 1807 to 1814, Ames supervised the shovel-making plant at Plymouth Iron Works, but returned to his own shop in Easton, where business slowly grew.

On his death, his sons Oakes and Oliver took over the Shovel Works with grandson Frederick Lothrop Ames.