Matthias Baldwin, Inventor of the Steam Locomotive

Blogger: Amber Lemus

 

Continuing our series on lesser-known inventors, today we're learning about Matthias Baldwin. He's an American inventor best known for his invention of the steam locomotive, but he also has a fantastic legacy that I'm excited to share with you all today. 

Matthias Baldwin
Public Domain

Matthias Baldwin was born December 10, 1795, the fifth child of a prosperous carriage maker in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. When Matthias was only four years old, his father passed away, leaving his estate in the hands of executors who did not properly manage it. This left Matthias and his mother and siblings in dire financial circumstances. 

Even during his younger years, Matthias showed a talent and interest in how things worked, and how they were put together. He was known to dismantle toys to figure out how they worked, and then try to piece them back together. Soon, his mother's home was his makeshift workshop as well. 

As was common in those days, Matthias began an apprenticeship at the age of 16. Woolworth Brothers of Frankford, Pennsylvania employed him until 1817 when he and his mother moved to Philadelphia. He continued in the jewelry making profession there also, and soon became employed by one of the top jewelers in the city. 

Over the next few years, Matthias proved himself to be an incredible craftsman with an innovative mind. He came up with a new way of making gold plate, which revolutionized the industry. However, he didn't ever patent that process, so he never was able to capitalize on it financially. 

During the mid 1820's, the bottom fell out of the market for silverware and jewelry. This caused Matthias to look for a new source of income. He ended up partnering with a machinist by the name of David Mason and together they formed a company that produced industrial equipment for printers.

Baldwin's First Stationary Engine
Public Domain

 

As their company grew and flourished, they realized that they needed a larger power source. In 1826, Matthias invented his first steam engine. It was a stationary model that was able to produce 5 horsepower of energy output. This machine would serve in his shop for over 4 decades. According to his biography in the National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, "Baldwin's engine was not only the most powerful of its day but also incorporated mechanical innovation to power rotary motion, which ultimately came to have application in transport, including marine engine design." This invention became the new base for he and his partner's company as the demand for these type of engines skyrocketed. It took less than ten years for them to become one of the top engine manufacturers in the country. Matthias's original engine is now in the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. 

In 1831, Matthias came up with a new idea for his invention. Based on designs first shown in England, Matthias built his first steam locomotive. It was a small demonstration engine that could pull a few cars. This prototype landed him his first commissioned steam locomotive, and he spent a year building it. It was nicknamed Old Ironsides. Unlike other engines during this era, this one was powered by coal, which was more available locally, rather than wood. 

Old Ironsides
By Illustration from History of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1831-1920.

 

Matthias Baldwin was granted a patent in 1836 which was described as the "Art of managing and supplying fire for generating steam in locomotive-engines"

Besides his inventions and business successes, Matthias was a devout Christian and an advocate for racial equality. In 1835, a year before he received his steam locomotive patent, he donated money to open a school for African-American children in Philadelphia, and he continued to pay the teacher's salaries out of his pocket for years. He was also a vocal supporter of abolition, which his competitors exploited against him when competing for business in slave holding states. 

In 1837, Matthias became a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention and was a defender of voting rights for black male citizens. 

Matthias Baldwin Statue in Philidelphia
Bruce Andersen, CC BY-SA 2.5

At the time of his death at 70 years of age, Matthias's company had produced some 1500 steam locomotives, and would go on to produce at least 75,000 before the company terminated production in 1956. 

A statue was erected in honor of Matthias Baldwin in 1906, and currently stands in front of Philadelphia City Hall. In May of 2020, it was defaced with the words of "colonizer" and "murderer", which was completely inaccurate given his advocacy for African Americans and their rights. However the action did serve to further the legacy of Matthias Baldwin, since interest in him and his legacy has increased since that time. The statue was cleaned up quickly. 

Matthias Baldwin was also inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

The Life of Lewis Latimer, American Inventor and Patent Draftsman

Blogger: Amber Lemus

While researching inventions, I came across a biography for an American inventor by the name of Lewis Latimer. His story is astounding, and he is almost never heard of, so I wanted to share his story with you all today.

Lewis' story really starts with his parents, Rebecca and George Latimer. The couple escaped slavery in Virginia by fleeing to Chelsea Massachusetts in 1842. Since George was the son of a white man and an enslaved African American mother, his skin was light, and he had many of the white features. His wife posed as a servant of his, and they escaped safely, but George's former owner put out a reward for his capture. When he and his wife reached Boston, he was immediately recognized by a colleague of his former slave owner. A few days later, he was arrested.

Lewis' Father, George Latimer
Public Domain

The news of his detention sparked a great conflict in the State of Massachusetts. Latimer was represented by Samuel Sewall, who organized meetings that came to be known as the "Latimer Meetings." According to some sources, Fredrick Douglass was also involved in George's defense. The trial ended with George purchasing his own freedom from his former owner for the price of four hundred dollars. However, the case led to fundraising, petitions, and even the 1843 Liberty Act which is sometimes called the "Latimer Law."

After that case was settled, George and Rebecca settled in Chelsea to raise their family. On September 4, 1848, Lewis was born, the youngest of four children. During his younger years, Lewis spent time in his father's barbershop. But the happiness was not to last.

When Lewis was 10 years old, his family had to be split up. With the ruling of the Dred Scott case, slaves who had escaped to freedom had to prove that they had the consent of their former owners to become free. Lewis's father had no such proof, so he fled, leaving his family behind and hoping that his absence would make the family less of a target. Lewis's mother decided it would be best to further split up the family, so she sent Lewis and his brothers to a farm school.

At the age of 16, Lewis joined the United States Navy, and served aboard the USS Massasoit during the Civil War. He received an honorable discharge on July 3, 1865 and gained employment as an office boy in a patent office. This is where he began to show his true potential.

Lewis Latimer
Public Domain

Lewis quickly learned how to use the tools of drafting and sketching, and his boss started noticing his talent. He was promoted to draftsman, and then head draftsman, his earnings increasing with each promotion. Lewis's creativity was sparked by drafting sketches of other's inventions, and he began to tinker with some of his own.

In 1873, Lewis wed Mary Wilson Lewis, but it would be ten years before they were blessed with children. They did end up having two daughters, Emma Jeanette in 1883, and Louise Rebecca in 1890.


In 1874, Lewis registered his first patent, along with his coworker Charles M. Brown. Together, they had developed a system for water closets in rail cars. A couple years after that, Lewis was hired by Alexander Graham Bell to draft the drawings that would be needed to register the patent for Bell's telephone.

In 1879, Lewis moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut and started working for a competitor of Thomas Edison, the US Electric Lighting Company owned by Hiram Maxim. It was here that he made his most well-known innovation. He was working on improving the filaments inside the light bulbs so they could last longer and be more cost-effective. Lewis successfully invented a modification to the filament process that made it more durable, and therefore more affordable to the public. These filaments were substantially safer than gas lamps, but also less harsh than some of the prior inventions such as arc lights. His invention transformed the average American home after nightfall.

Lewis was an incredibly intelligent man, who could speak and translate into German and French, and could teach workers how to create a light bulb from beginning to end, including the glass blowing formation of the bulb. He registered several patents during his lifetime, including a fore-runner to our modern day Air Conditioner.


After leaving the US Electric Lighting Company, Lewis went on to work with Thomas Edison, became a patent inspector, an expert witness, an author of several books, a teacher, and a member of the Board of Patent Control.

Despite many societal challenges, Lewis was able to become a successful inventor and was respected in his field. He was accepted into the Edison Pioneers, an exclusive group of 100 innovative minds, and he was the first person of color to attain that honor. He was also an early advocate of Civil Rights


Lewis Latimer passed away on December 11, 1928 at the age of 80, but his legacy remained. There is a museum in New York with his family's home dedicated to the inventor, the invention program at MIT is named after him, as well as several schools also being named in his memory. Finally, Lewis was inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Light Bulb by Lewis Latimer
Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

*****

 

 

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

 

Hedy Lamarr - More Than A Pretty Face

By Kathy Kovach

Who do we have to thank for the cell phone that has become an extra appendage? Could it have been a dusty old electronics enthusiast with a scraggly goatee? Or a buttoned-up scientist who has made inroads in the field of technology? Surprisingly, the person we have to thank for the cell phone that’s taken over our lives is the exquisite actress and producer Hedy Lamarr.

Born in Vienna, Austria on November 9, 1914, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler became interested in acting at an early age. By the time she turned eighteen, she had starred in two German films, catching the eye of Hollywood producers which led to her signing on with MGM. She changed her name, and from there, she costarred with some of the most popular leading men in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Charles Boyer, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart among others. She soon earned her moniker as “the most beautiful woman in film” and would go on to star in thirty productions and produce two movies.

All very impressive, but there was so much more to the Austrian-born actress.

Her intelligence exceeded that of her peers. While hitting her stride in Hollywood, Lamarr met with other brilliant minds. In particular, Howard Hughes, who helped her set up equipment in her trailer on her movie sets to conduct experiments in her down time. In 1942, she and composer George Antheil, teamed up to patent what they called the “Secret Communication System.”

“The original idea, meant to solve the problem of enemies blocking signals from radio-controlled missiles during World War II, involved changing radio frequencies simultaneously to prevent enemies from being able to detect the messages. While the technology of the time prevented the feasibility of the idea at first, the advent of the transistor and its later downsizing made Hedy’s idea very important to both the military and the cell phone industry.” -Biography – Hedy Lamarr

The frequency-hopping technology prevented Allied torpedoes from being detected by Nazis. Sadly, neither Lamarr nor Antheil received any compensation for the life-saving multi-billion-dollar invention. They were, however, finally honored in 1997 with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Pioneer Award. That same year Lamarr became the first female to receive the BULBIE™ Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award. This award is considered the "Oscars" of inventing. Hedy Lamarr would only enjoy this honor for three years as she passed away in 2000 at the age of 86.

The invention eventually led to ground-breaking future technology, making Bluetooth and Wi-Fi possible for those of us who wear our cell phones on the end of our sleeves. Yes, we have a beautiful actress and a talented composer to thank for moving our communications into the 21st Century.

My novella "Riders of the Painted Star" is set at the dawn of the Golden Age of Hollywood when singing cowboys were heroes and their horses held a special place in their hearts. Royce Rutger was the exception. An actor who merely pretended to be a cowboy could never win Zadie Fitzpatrick's love, especially knowing how much stock she put into the idols of the big screen. Can she see past his deception to get to know the real man inside?

MissAdventure Brides Collection
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures? Includes:

"Riders of the Painted Star" by Kathleen E. Kovach

1936 Arizona
Zadie Fitzpatrick, an artist from New York, is commissioned to go on location in Arizona to paint illustrations for an author of western novels and falls for the male model.

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother, though much too young for that. Kathleen is a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

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