Inventors – 1861 to 1900
Philip B. Downing (1857-1934)
During the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, Philip Bell Downing successfully filed at least five patents with the...
Alfred L. Cralle (1866–1920)
Alfred L. Cralle was an African American businessman and inventor best known for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897. Cralle was born on...
Lyda Newman (1885-?)
Inventor and women’s rights advocate Lyda Newman is best known for a newly-designed hairbrush patent and her effort to fight...
Alexander Miles (1838-1918)
Born near Circleville, Ohio to Michael Miles and Mary Pompy, Alexander Miles is the 19th Century African-American inventor known best...
Daniel McCree (1800?- ?)
Born in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1800s Daniel McCree is best known for patenting of the portable fire escape...
Robert Scott (ca. 1840-~1930)
Prolific inventor Robert P. Scott was most likely born somewhere between 1840 to 1850. Little information is known about his...
Alexander P. Ashbourne (1820-1915)
Alexander P. Ashbourne was an early inventor. He was born into slavery in Philadelphia around 1820. There are very few...
John Lee Love (?-1931)
John Lee Love was an African American inventor, most known for his invention of the hand-cranked pencil sharpener, the “Love Sharpener,”...
Samuel Raymond Scottron (ca. 1843-1905)
Samuel Scottron was an inventor of the late 1800s, best known for his invention of the curtain rod. It is...
