James Oliver (inventor)
| James Oliver | |
|---|---|
Portrait of James Oliver
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| Born |
August 28, 1823 Liddesdale, Scotland |
| Died | March 2, 1908 (aged 84) South Bend, Indiana |
| Nationality |
Scottish American |
| Occupation | Inventor, Industrialist |
| Known for | Oliver Chilled Plow |
James Oliver (August 28, 1823 – March 2, 1908) was an American inventor and industrialist best known for his creation of the South Bend Iron Works, which was reincorporated as the Oliver Farm Equipment Company after his death. After buying a South Bend, Indiana foundry with partner Harvey Little in 1855 he began experimenting with improved farm plow designs. Driven by the sales of his popular Oliver Chilled Plow, for which he registered 45 patents during his lifetime, the company grew to become one of the largest in Indiana and one of the world's largest producers of farm plows during the late 19th Century.
James Oliver was born August 28, 1823 in Liddesdale, Scotland the youngest of the nine children of Mary Irving and George Oliver. His family was Presbyterian and James was taught to read and write in a local church. His father was a shepherd but found it difficult to earn an income to support his family. An outbreak of cholera in 1832 killed most of family flock, and George injured his leg the following year making it difficult for him to walk. The family's oldest sons immigrated to the United States in the following years and prepared a home for the rest of the family to join them in 1835. There the family worked on a farm near Alloway, New York that had been purchased by the sons.
Oliver took a job working on nearby farms performing manual labor and becoming acquainted with field plowing. One of Oliver's sisters married to a pioneer who moved to what would become LaGrange County, Indiana. In 1836 James and some of his siblings traveling to live with them on their homestead. The family home was near Mishawaka, Indiana where a large bog provided an abundance of iron. A number of foundries and iron works were being built in the area and Oliver took a number of jobs working on construction projects. He briefly attended George Merrifield School where furthered his basic education. He took a job at South Bend Blast Furnace Company in 1839 where he first learned how to cast iron.
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