Joseph glidden invention

Joseph glidden cause of death

Joseph Farwell Glidden's invention of one of the most widely-used types of barbed wire in helped change the history of the American West and had far-reaching impact throughout the world. His Homestead in DeKalb, IL, is being preserved and restored by a not-for-profit organization founded in Both the home and the barn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

We welcome your visit and encourage your membership! He and his brother, Josiah, arrived in DeKalb County, Illinois, during the farming season of Through the custom threshing of grains and the profit it brought, Joseph purchased acres of land about a mile west of the young village of DeKalb. He built a log cabin and began life as a Midwest farmer.

Through the years, Joseph pursued various areas of agriculture and regarded the art of farming as a most congenial way of life. The application for a patent for barbed wire, his generous contribution of land for location of Northern Illinois State Normal School, and his civic responsibilities in the area, all substantiate why he was called "the Grand Old Man of DeKalb County.

Her marriage to the widower Glidden was an event of interest to all in the DeKalb community. A short time after their marriage, the red-brick home replaced the log cabin. It became a spot for friendly gatherings and challenging discussions. The problems of black earth farming were constant subjects. Lucinda, in later recollections, told how during the winter of , she found her large wire hairpins were disappearing from a milk-glass dish on her dresser.

At first she thought Elva Frances, her year-old daughter, was taking them. When asked, Elva replied, "No, Mother. He replied that he was working on an idea for a fence.