GARRETT A. MORGAN

Morgan (1877-1963) was born in Paris, Kentucky, and received wide recognition for his contributions to public safety. In 1914 he was awarded a gold medal at the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York for inventing the safety helmet and gas mask that firemen wear. Two years earlier he had been issued a patent for a gas mask that soldiers would eventually use in World War I to protect against chlorine gas fumes. In 1916, Morgan used his own mask design to rescue men trapped by a gas explosion in a tunnel being constructed under Lake Erie. For his heroic efforts, the city of Cleveland, Ohio honored the inventor with a gold medal. Morgan received a patent in 1923 for his new concept of a traffic signal to regulate vehicle movement in city areas. GO and STOP signs were systematically raised and lowered at intersections to bring order to regulating pedestrian and vehicle traffic on city streets. His invention was eventually replaced with the light signal devices used today.

LEWIS TEMPLE

Temple (circa 1800-1854) was born in Richmond, Virginia, probably to slave parents. He settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, around 1829 and by 1836 had his own waterfront blacksmith shop, where he specialized in making harpoons and other accoutrements for the whaling industry even though he had never been to sea. In 1848, he devised a hand-wielded harpoon mounted on a pivoted head that prevented the whale from slipping loose. His "toggle” harpoon that revolutionized the technology of whaling. His invention was rapidly adopted, but because he did not patent his invention others copied it. Nevertheless, he was able to make enough of a good living from his harpoon sales to buy the building next to his shop and, in 1854, arrange for construction of a blacksmith shop near Steamboat Wharf. However, Temple accidentally fell one night while walking near his new shop construction site. He never fully recovered from his injuries and was unable to return to work. He died destitute with his family in debt.

GRANVILLE T. WOODS

Woods (1856-1910) was born in Columbus, Ohio, and forced to leave school at the age of ten. He learned his skills as an apprentice in a machine shop, and in 1872 he obtained a job as a fireman on the Danville and Southern railroad in Missouri, eventually becoming an engineer. Woods moved to the East in 1876, and four years later became Chief Engineer of the British steamer Ironsides. By 1880, he had established his own shop in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his brother, and in 1884 received his first patent on an improved steam boiler furnace. In 1887 he patented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed communications between train stations from moving trains, decreasing the amount of accidents and collisions by allowing stations to know exactly where trains were at all times. In 1888 Woods developed and patented a system for overhead electric conducting lines for railroads, which aided in the development of the overhead railroad system found in contemporary metropolitan cities. In later years, he succeeded in selling many to his inventions to some of the country's largest corporations such as American Bell Telephone Company, General Electric, and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. A prolific inventor, Woods was awarded more than 60 patents. He died in New York City.