Insulator Historical Timeline! 1830-1859

Key events are noted by approximate date.  Hyperlinks will provide additional information.  Please feedback additional key dates or note any needed corrections.  Dates considered particularly significant are highlighted in red.

• May 24, 1844:  Samuel Morse transmitted the first telegraph message over a short telegraph line run along a railroad between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore with the famous words "What hath god wrought!".  Based on advice from Ezra Cornell, the insulators used on this line were made of two flat glass plates surrounding a cloth wrapped wire in slot in the crossarm.
• December 20, 1845:  Ezra Cornell of Ithaca, NY patent for a telegraph that requires no current in the idle state saving batteries.  (US Patent 4,318)
• April 11, 1846:  Samuel F. B. Morse of New York, NY patent for an improved printing telegraph designed such that a near end battery would supplement the source battery to save transmitted current use.  (US Patent 4,453)
• April 18, 1846: Royal E. House of New York, NY patent for a telegraph that prints characters to be decoded titled "The Magnetic Letter Printing Telegraph".  The idea was different enough from Morse's design to avoid infringement.  An unusual metal and glass insulator was developed uniquely for the House telegraph.  (US Patent 4,464)
• July 24, 1846:  Addison Smith of Perrysburg, OH patent for a fire detector and alarm system using telegraph to transmit information.  (US Patent 4,661)
• October 7, 1846:  Rene L'anglais of Paincourtville, LA  patent for a glass lightning rod insulator.  (US Patent 4,807) -- [Full Patent Text]
• April 5, 1848:  Ralph Gray and Robert Hemingray signed a five year lease for a small half-lot on Hammond Street (originally known as  Mayor's Alley from Third to Fourth, between Main and Sycamore) in Cincinnati, Ohio.  They soon began manufacturing glass at this location under the name of Gray & Hemingray Glass Works.  Anthony Gray, Ralph's younger brother, and Samuel Hemingray, one of Robert's older brothers, were employed as "glass blower" and "book-keeper", respectively.  Anthony Gray was married to Susan Carroll, a sister of Robert's wife. Link for more details.
• February 5, 1850:  James Spratt of Cincinnati, OH patent for a lightning rod insulator design.  This patent was implemented in an early LRI (Lightning Rod Insulator).  (US Patent 7,076) -- [Full Patent Text]
• August 12, 1850:  Ralph Gray and Robert Hemingray sign a five year lease for the adjoining half-lot on Hammond Street expanding their operation.  The "Williams' Cincinnati Directory and Business Advertiser for 1850-51"  (Printed in 1950), included a Gray & Hemingray advertisement which suggested that they carried a line of "telegraph glasses and lightning rod insulators".  The style of the referenced telegraph insulators is unknown, but it is probable that they were making lightning rod insulators for James Spratt. Link for more details.
• April 29, 1851:  Dr. Charles Grafton Page, funded by the US Congress, constructed an electric locomotive and was able to travel from Washington, DC, to Bladensburg, MD.  The battery powered electric engine reached a speed of 19 miles per hour on level ground.
• August 26, 1851:  George W. Otis of Lynn, MA patent for a lightning rod insulator.  This patent was implemented in the Otis "Wiggle top" insulators most likely made by the Sandwich Glass Co.  (US Patent 8,316) -- [Full Patent Text]
• October 14, 1851:  John Montgomery Batchelder of Cambridge, MA patent for for a metal and insulating material insulator.  (US Patent 8,418) -- [Full Patent Text]
• October 14, 1851:  Zenas C. Robbins of Washington, DC patent for an unusual multipart telegraph insulator.  There are no known insulators attributed to this patent.  (US Patent 8,419) -- [Full Patent Text]
• October 14, 1851:  John Yandell of  St. Louis, MO  patent for a glass block insulator.  A good example of this CD 1014 insulator exists in the Smithsonian Institution archives.  (US Patent 8,438) -- [Full Patent Text]
• 1852:  The first electric fire alarm system was installed in Boston, MA.
• August 20, 1852:  Ralph Gray and Robert Hemingray purchase property in Covington, Kentucky, on the alley west of Madison and north of Second.  The manufacturing operations were moved from Hammond Street to Covington as soon as the furnaces had been completed.  The company was advertised as the Gray & Hemingray Glass Works although some Kenton County records make reference to the "Covington Glass Works".  An advertisement in "Gray's Cincinnati Business Mirror & City Advertiser" suggested that Gray & Hemingray were manufacturing "Telegraph Glasses and Lightning Rod Insulators".  Link for more details.
• July 3, 1855:  Robert D. Dwyer or Richmond, VA patent for a lightning rod insulator.  The rare Salamander lightning rod insulator matches this patent.  (US Patent 13,162) -- [Full Patent Text]
• 1857: The Gray & Hemingray Glass Works became Gray, Hemingray & Brothers, recognising Ralph's brother Anthony Gray, and Robert's brother, Samuel Hemingray.  Anthony and Samuel, however, remained as employees rather than becoming equal partners.
• August 16, 1858: The first trans-Atlantic under sea cable was completed connecting Valentia Harbor in Ireland and Trinity Bay in Newfoundland.  The cable only remained operational for about three weeks.  It was not until many years later in 1866 that another successful attempt was made.
• September 14, 1858:  Moses G. Farmer of Salem, MA and John M. Batchelder of Cambridge, MA patent for a rams horn insulator and mounting block.  (US Patent 21,492) -- [Full Patent Text]
• 1859: Homer Brooke apprenticed to his father in his New York City shop -- Follow this link for more details on Homer Brooke.
• March 29, 1859:  Russel Hickok of Fort Edward, NY patent for a glass lightning rod insulator design.  Link for more details! (US Patent 23,373) -- [Full Patent Text]
• May 24, 1859: John A. Enggren of Brooklyn, NY patent for a technique of mounting lightning rod conductors to insulators.  (US Patent 24,110) -- [Full Patent Text]

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