 |
 The Conestoga
Wagon was named for
the region in which it was developed and used,
the Conestoga River Valley of Pennsylvania. The
most distinctive part of the Conestoga's design
was its belly, which sloped up at each end to
prevent cargo from shifting while the wagon was
negotiating a steep incline or decline. |
 The History of
the Pencil The first
pencils using a stick of graphite enclosed in a
wood case were being mass-produced in Nuremberg
by 1662. In 1795, Nicholas Jacques Conté
received a patent for a process of mixing
powdered graphite and clay, forming the mixture
into sticks, and then hardening them in a furnace
that is still in use today. |
 Daniel Burnap
was a Connecticut clockmaker whose clocks were
well-known for their fine craftsmanship and
incredible timekeeping accuracy. |
 How Paper Is
Made The first
machine to make paper was developed in France
around 1798. Although papermaking machines have
been greatly improved and enlarged since then the
basic processes remain the same. |
 Joseph Marie
Jacquard invented an automated loom
that used a system of punched cards with sprung
needles that lifted only those threads
corresponding to the punched pattern on the card.
His loom made it possible to weave patterns of
remarkable complexity. |
 Charles
Goodyear accidentally discovered the
process of vulcanization in 1839. Despite the
importance of his discovery he was unable to
capitalize on the process. The company which now
bears his name wasn't even founded until 38 years
after his death. |
