Old patents

The second owner of our house inherited the property from his father when he was 23 years old. He is the only member of the Edgar family that I have not been able to get a picture or photo of. He died in 1877 from convulsions. A note in the local paper read;

Saturday November 24, 1877

Our readers will be pained to hear of the death of Charles Edgar, the only son of the late Samuel D. Edgar. He was a young man of high character, strict integrety and steady habits, and excellent reputation among his acquaintances and neighbors. While yet a boy he exhibited remarkable inventive talent and succeeded in getting a patent on a self operating gate, which is now in very general use, not only in this State, but also in the Eastern and Western States. He since invented a most useful and important improvement to horse hay rakes which has been patented and issued by several of the leading manufacturers in the West. He also invented a new gas machine and had several other important inventions in course of registration. Had he lived he would have achieved success, for he possessed talent, united with perseverance and industry.Mr. Edgar married the daughter of John Bidleman, a most esteemable woman, who, with three young children is left to mourn his untimely loss.

The death notice reads;

Edgar- Charles Edgar, at a quarter before 9 o'clock a.m. November 23d aged 26 years, 5 months and 25 days.Funeral from the old homestead, South Wayne Street, near the asylum, on Monday afternoon, November 26th, 1877. Friends of the family invited.

Well, this week I was able to locate copies of the first two patents.




According to probate records, the gas machine patent was sold after his death for $10. These two were valued at $1 each.

I figured these would be interesting to frame and hang on the wall in the house along with all the photos of former occupants that we have accumulated.