Erastus Brigham Bigelow
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| Erastus Brigham Bigelow | |
 Erastus Brigham Bigelow
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| Born | April 2, 1814 Massachusetts |
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| Died | December 6, 1879 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
Erastus Brigham Bigelow (April 2, 1814 – December 6, 1879) was an American inventor of weaving machines. Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts.
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[edit] Beginnings
Erastus Bigelow showed an inventive genius the early age of 14, when he invented a machine to manufacture piping cord, for which he received one hundred dollars. He then invented a power loom for weaving knotted counterpanes, and later a power loom to weave coach lace and took his brother, Horatio, in with him. Erastus invented a carpet loom by which his name became widely known, which became the basis of the Bigelow Carpet Company.[1]
[edit] Industrial Success
Bigelow and his brother Horatio are credited with founding the town of Clinton, Massachusetts, which was originally part of the town of Lancaster.
[edit] Legacy
Bigelow founded the Bigelow Mechanics Institute in 1846, which is today known as the Bigelow Free Public Library located in Clinton, Massachusetts.[2]
He was also an original incorporator of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.
