Скачать или смотреть Granville T. Woods one of the most brilliant under-recognized inventors called “The Black Edison.”

Granville T. Woods was Born: April 23, 1856, Columbus, Ohio (some accounts say Australia, but most historians agree on Ohio)2.

Parents: Martha J. Brown (part Native American) and Cyrus Woods (African American).

Left school at age 10 due to family poverty, apprenticed in a machine shop, and learned the trades of machinist and blacksmith.

Worked various jobs — railroad fireman, engineer, steel mill worker, and chief engineer on a British steamer — while teaching himself mechanical and electrical engineering3.

⚡ Career & Inventions
Moved to Cincinnati in 1880 and established himself as an electrical engineer and inventor.

Held over 50 patents (some sources say nearly 60) for devices that improved railways, telegraphs, telephones, and more3.

Most famous invention:

Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph (1887) — allowed communication between moving trains and stations, improving safety2.

Other innovations:

Overhead electric conducting system for railways (1888)

Improved steam-boiler furnace (1889)

Automatic air brake improvements

Egg incubator

Safety circuits for electrical systems2

⚖ Notable Moments
Thomas Edison once claimed to have invented Woods’ railway telegraph and sued him — Woods won the case.

Edison later offered him a job at Edison Electric Light Company; Woods declined, preferring independence.

🏅 Legacy
Woods’ work made electric railways safer and more efficient, directly influencing modern transportation systems.

Died January 30, 1910, in New York City at age 53.

Remembered as a pioneer who overcame racial barriers to leave a lasting mark on engineering and public safety.