Granville t woods family
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Biography of Granville T. Woods, American Inventor
Granville T. Woods (April 23, 1856–Jan. 30, 1910) was a Black inventor so successful that he was sometimes referred to as "The Black Edison." He dedicated his life's work to developing a variety of inventions, many relating to the railroad industry. By the time of his early death at age 53, Woods had invented 15 appliances for electric railways and received nearly 60 patents, many related to the railroad industry.
Fast Facts: Granville T. Woods
- Known For: Highly successful Black inventor
- Also Known As: The Black Edison
- Born: April 23, 1856 in Columbus, Ohio or Australia
- Parents: Tailer and Martha Woods or Martha J. Brown and Cyrus Woods
- Died: Jan. 30, 1910 in New York, New York
- Notable Invention: Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph
Early Life
Granville T. Woods was born on April 23, 1856. Most reports indicate he was born in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Tailer and Martha Woods, and that he and his parents were free by virtue of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which prohibited enslaveme
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Granville T. Woods was a prominent inventor and electrical engineer who developed inventions that were awarded 27 patents by the U.S. Patent Office between 1884 and 1903. Because of his significant electrical inventions he is known as the “Black Edison.”
Woods was born on April 23, 1856 in Columbus, Ohio. He attended school until he was 10 years old and then, as was typical of the era, he left school to start work. Employed in a mechanic’s shop, he developed a fascination with railroad equipment. Woods, an avid reader and astute learner, began to focus all his spare time and attention to mastering electrical engineering. At the age of 20 he enrolled in a technical college and trained for two years in electrical and mechanical engineering. After graduation, with no prominent jobs prospects in Ohio, he worked as an engineer on a British steamer which allowed him to travel the globe. Woods eventually settled Cincinnati, Ohio where he formed the Woods Electric Company. His decision to become an independent entrepreneur stemmed in part because of his difficulty in finding work.
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Granville T. Woods
(1856-1910)
Who Was Granville T. Woods?
Granville T. Woods, born to free African Americans, held various engineering and industrial jobs before establishing a company to develop electrical apparatus. Known as "Black Edison," he registered nearly 60 patents in his lifetime, including a telephone transmitter, a trolley wheel and the multiplex telegraph (over which he defeated a lawsuit by Thomas Edison).
Early Life
Born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23, 1856, Woods received little schooling as a young man and, in his early teens, took up a variety of jobs, including as a railroad engineer in a railroad machine shop, as an engineer on a British ship, in a steel mill, and as a railroad worker. From 1876 to 1878, Woods lived in New York City, taking courses in engineering and electricity — a subject that he realized, early on, held the key to the future.
Back in Ohio in the summer of 1878, Woods was employed for eight months by the Springfield, Jackson and Pomeroy Railroad Company to work at the pumping stations and the shifting of cars in the city
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