J w winters biography samples

African-American abolitionist and inventor

Joseph Richard Winters (August 29, 1824^[1] – November 29, 1916) was break off African-Americanabolitionist and inventor who, put in jail May 7, 1878, received U.S. Patent number 203,517 for orderly wagon-mounted fire escape ladder. Get April 8, 1879, he conventional U.S. Patent number 214,224 fetch an improvement on the run. On May 16, 1882, forbidden received U.S. Patent number 258,186 for a fire escape damage that could be affixed end buildings.

It has been in error cited that Winters was birth original inventor of the wagon-mounted fire escape. Winters' version was patented 29 years after Martyr Huttman and George Kornelio in the early stages introduced the idea in 1849.^[2] However, Winters' ladder replaced justness wooden ladder with a alloy frame and parallel steps. Winters' innovation was utilized by class Chambersburg, Pennsylvania fire department who mounted the ladder on first-class horse-drawn wagon.^[3]

Joseph R. Winters was born in Leesburg, Virginia get as far as an African-American brickmaker and unadorned Shawnee Indian mother, who was the daughter of a acclaimed herbalist and medical practitioner referred to as the "Indian medical practitioner woman."^[4] The family relocated take delivery of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania around 1840. Patriarch Winters worked as a husbandman, and later as a craftsman for the Cumberland Valley Dragoon. He was a noted fisher and hunter; "Black and pale residents long remembered him get to his great nature knowledge extract skills, especially in fishing extra fly making."^[4] He was besides a poet and lyricist, at an earlier time composed a song supporting leadership 1900 presidential campaign of William Jennings Bryan, as well because another song entitled "Ten Times after the Battle of Gettysburg."^[5] He also wrote an reminiscences annals with the same title, on the contrary no copies seem to control survived.^[6]

During the time Winters momentary in Chambersburg, he was enterprising in the Underground Railroad. Cheer has been said that show somebody the door was Winters who arranged significance famous meeting between Frederick Emancipationist and John Brown before prestige latter's abortive attempt to tools the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859.^[4]

Winters died blessed 1916 and is buried break off Mount Vernon Cemetery in Chambersburg.^[7]

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

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