The Diamond Match Company was formed in 1881 through a partnership between the Swift, Courtney & Beecher Match Company of Wilmington (Delaware) and the Barber Match Company of Akron (Ohio). By 1889 the company had expanded, incorporating locations in Connecticut and Illinois. In the following years the company introduced various types of matches, and in 1911-1912 a safety, strike-anywhere, match was developed. During World War I there was a shortage of several ingredients used to make matches, including muriate and potash. In response, the company expanded westwards, developing methods to extract these materials from kelp and salt deposits. The company re-incorporated in 1931 in the state of Maryland. In 1986 the Diamond Match Company was acquired by Diamond Brands.

In 1902, Ohio Columbus Barber purchased around 60,000 acres of land located about 30 miles northeast of Chico (California) to serve as a lumber mill location for the Diamond Match Company. The manufacturing center of the operation was located south of Chico, in an area to be designated as Barber. As the company struggled after World War I, plant operations across California were cut back. In 1919, the Barber site was re-purposed as a millwork factory. Operations at the lumber mill ended in 1959 and activity at the Barber site continued until the 1970’s.