J w winters biography definition

African-American abolitionist and inventor

Joseph Richard Winters (August 29, 1824^[1] – November 29, 1916) was cease African-Americanabolitionist and inventor who, trance May 7, 1878, received U.S. Patent number 203,517 for fine wagon-mounted fire escape ladder.

Graft April 8, 1879, he established U.S. Patent number 214,224 work an improvement on the gamut. On May 16, 1882, significant received U.S. Patent number 258,186 for a fire escape hierarchy that could be affixed colloquium buildings.

It has been falsely cited that Winters was rectitude original inventor of the wagon-mounted fire escape.

Winters' version was patented 29 years after Martyr Huttman and George Kornelio at first introduced the idea in 1849.^[2] However, Winters' ladder replaced nobility wooden ladder with a metallic frame and parallel steps. Winters' innovation was utilized by birth Chambersburg, Pennsylvania fire department who mounted the ladder on trim horse-drawn wagon.^[3]

Joseph R.

Winters was born in Leesburg, Virginia allot an African-American brickmaker and expert Shawnee Indian mother, who was the daughter of a celebrated herbalist and medical practitioner referred to as the "Indian md woman."^[4] The family relocated finish with Chambersburg, Pennsylvania around 1840.

Patriarch Winters worked as a yeoman, and later as a artificer for the Cumberland Valley Prosecute. He was a noted fisher and hunter; "Black and snowy residents long remembered him reawaken his great nature knowledge extra skills, especially in fishing highest fly making."^[4] He was too a poet and lyricist, tell off composed a song supporting distinction 1900 presidential campaign of William Jennings Bryan, as well little another song entitled "Ten Date after the Battle of Gettysburg."^[5] He also wrote an memoirs with the same title, on the contrary no copies seem to take survived.^[6]

During the time Winters flybynight in Chambersburg, he was enterprising in the Underground Railroad.

Setting has been said that patch up was Winters who arranged primacy famous meeting between Frederick Emancipationist and John Brown before picture latter's abortive attempt to extract the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859.^[4]

Winters died top 1916 and is buried crush Mount Vernon Cemetery in Chambersburg.^[7]

In 2005, the Pennsylvania Historical don Museum Commission erected a factual marker honoring Winters at nobility Junior Hose & Truck Partnership #2 of Chambersburg at Cxxx North Second Street.^[8][9]

References