Erastus Brigham Bigelow (April 2, 1814 – December 6, 1879) was an American inventor of weaving machines. Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts.
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, Hora...
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Erastus Brigham Bigelow (April 2, 1814 – December 6, 1879) was an American inventor of weaving machines. Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts.
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.
Bigelow and his brother Horatio are credited with founding the town of Clinton, Massachusetts, which was originally part of the town of Lancaster.
Bigelow founded the Bigelow Mechanics Institute in 1846, which is today known as the Bigelow Free Public Library located in Clinton, Massachusetts.
He was also an original incorporator of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded in 1861.
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