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BARBED WIRE BIOGRAPHIES
JOSEPH F. GLIDDEN
(Jan 18, 1813 - Oct 9, 1906)
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Joseph Glidden was born in Clarendon, New York where he lived until 1842. He taught school and farmed, marrying Clarissa Foster in 1837 at 24 years of age. He moved to DeKalb, Illinois in 1843 and bought a farm. An epidemic claimed the lives of his two sons and his wife and baby died later in childbirth. At 38 years of age, Glidden married Lucinda Warne and was elected Sheriff of the county. In 1873 at sixty years of age he invented barbed wire and applied for a patent. In 1874, he sold one half interest in the patent to Isaac Ellwood and they built a factory in downtown DeKalb to manufacture the product. In 1876, Glidden sold his half of the patent to Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company for $60,000 and royalties. Eventually, Glidden owned a large farm, a 250,000 acre ranch in Texas, a hotel, bank, and newspaper. He received many honors for his philanthropy and generosity to his fellow man.
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JACOB HAISH
(Mar 9, 1826-Feb 19,1926) |
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Jacob Haish was born in Germany on March 9, 1826 and came to America in 1835. He moved to Illinois in 1845 and married Sophia Brown in 1847. They arrived in DeKalb Illinois in 1853 where he worked as a carpenter and grower of Osage Orange Hedges used in permanent fencing. In 1873, he invented a barbed wire and received the first patent issued for barbed wire by the Patent Office. However, he became involved in a patent infringement suit with Joseph Glidden. The suit was settled by the Supreme Court in 1892. Haish constructed a large factory to manufacture his patented wire in 1881 and sold it in 1916 in order to retire. He lived in an ornate mansion, held extensive banking interests and was a staunch supporter of the local university. He died at 99 years of age and left his fortune to various charities.
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ISAAC L. ELLWOOD
(Aug 3, 1833 - Sept 11, 1910) |
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Isaac Ellwood was born n Salt Springville, New York on August 3, 1833 where he grew up in hard times, with limited education, and working as a teamster on the Erie Canal. In 1851, he left for the California gold fields. He arrived at DeKalb, Illinois in 1855 to work on a farm. Later, he established a hardware store in DeKalb. Ellwood married Harriet Miller in 1859 and had seven children. In 1873, he became interested in barbed wire and bought one half interest in the Joseph Glidden patent. The partners built a factory in 1875 to manufacture the patented wire. Glidden sold his one half interest to the Washburn & Moen Company in 1876. Ellwood helped build the business to financial success and finally sold out to American Steel & Wire Corporation in 1898. Ellwood helped establish the university at DeKalb and served on the Governor's Staff. He died on September 11, 1910 at the age of 77.
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