As a young man, John Franklin Stratton performed on the trombone, keyed bugle, clarinet, and violin. He was a bandleader in Worcester, Massachusetts and later moved to Hartford, Connecticut where he opemed a music store,  received training as a machinist, and became the band leader of the "Hartford Cornet Band,"

He first opened up his New York shop in 1859 as a music retailer, brass instrument maker, and importer of musical instruments, while directing Stratton’s "Palace Garden Orchestra".

In 1864, he teamed up with John Howard Foote (b. Canton, CT 11 Nov 1833; d New York 17 May 1896) and became known as "Stratton & Foote." The company bought out Joseph Anton Rohé’s instrument importing business in 1864. Foote’s experience as an importer of music and instruments was helpful, since the company was involved in both the manufacture and importation of brass instruments.

During the Civil War, Stratton provided more than 60,000 field trumpets and bugles for the government. He employed nearly 200 workers making upwards of 100 instruments a day.  Instruments were usually engraved "STRATTON & FOOTE "31" MAIDEN LANE N.Y.", but some Stratton instruments carried the name of a distributor on the Stratton shield.

In 1866, he established a factory in Markneukirchen, Germany as a source of brass instruments for importation to the USA. In 1868 he transferred it to Leipzig.  In 1870, he created a string instrument factory in Gohlis and employed 300 workers. He traveled between Saxony and New York until 1883 when he sold both of his factories.  He was the recipient of honors from the King of Saxony and enjoyed the reputation that he could make any part of every instrument he sold!

In 1889, he formed a partnership with his son, Frank, and was then known as "Stratton & Son." They began importing brass instruments made by Courtois and M. Goulet. The company was represented at the Centennial Exposition of Philadelphia in 1876 .

References:
Early American Brass Makers, Robert E. Eliason,
The Music Men, Hazen and Hazen 1987, 135
The New Langwill Index, William Waterhouse 1993, 389