Any Patents or Inventors in your family tree?

 

Someone in our GenFriends group said "I don't have any inventors in my family". Come listen to Judy on Saturday. I thought the same thing until last year when I found a family member involved as a contractor in the farming community. 

I know of one distant cousin who applied for a patent shown below:

J. T. WELLS. TRUSS FOR BUILDINGS OR BRIDGES. No. 401,870.

Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

"Be it known that 1, JOHN TALCOTT Wants, of Scottsville, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Truss for Buildings or Bridges.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved truss for buildings for simplicity with great strength, and at the same time dispensing with metallic braces, thus making it a very cheap structure.

The invention consists of two parallel arches formed of bent boards or any material used in building and connected with each other by posts and braces."

Accompanying drawings, specifications, and letters of reference apparently were also included in the application.

Want to see what the barns look like?  Check this website - https://www.wellsbarnhistory.com/introduction/

Add to comments on this post with any patent and/or inventor discoveries you find!

 

RootsTech with a Texas Focus

 

Discover the Innovative Genealogy and Archival Projects Shaping Texas

https://dallasgenealogy.org/texas-connect-2026/

CLICK on the "View Flyer" LINK so that you can see the many experts who will be speaking. Recordings will be available for anything you miss live.

RootsTech will be hosting their live Texas Connect virtual session on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 9:00 – 11:00 am CST. This event brings spotlights outstanding genealogical and archival projects as well as collaborative and innovative work that is happening across the Lone Star State.

This will be a virtual even host on Zoom. Participants will be able to join one of the 19 break-out rooms to hear a short presentation followed by a question & answer period. Transitions (opportunity to go to a different break-out room) will occur every 20 minutes.

• You can join the live event on the 7^th at  https://tinyurl.com/TXConnect2026
• You will be able to view recordings of this years event (and view recordings from previous years) at  https://tinyurl.com/TXConnectYouTube
• View the flyer for more information

Tony Hanson will be conducting one of the sessions, sharing information about how the DGS has integrated the digital images of their publications in the society website.

Those of you who are planning to be at the library for the March7 General Meeting can stop by the Stone Room (located just outside of the O’Hara room) and watch parts of the Texas Connect presentation beginning at 9:00.