By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
In Part 1, we explored patents for a collapsible fruit crate from Hernando, a rodent-proof food storage unit from Inverness, a mailbag that can be picked up from moving train from Homosassa and improved wagon wheel shaft packings from Crystal River. You can read the entire article at: https://cccourthouse.org/citrus-county-inventors-part-one
This article continues to highlight more ordinary folks from Citrus County who registered their ideas with the US Patent Office. While they may not have had the impact of a Thomas Edison or Henry Ford, these neighbors from our past discovered some new/improved tools that are actually in use in today’s world.
This series focuses on some of the people and devices that were born here in Citrus County. Where possible, I’ll include a description of the submission in the inventor’s own words. If you’re interested in knowing more about each device, you can use the “Patent Number” to find the full submission on the Patent Office’s web site.
Are you related or know any of the people featured in this article? We would love to hear your stories about the inventor and why they chose to develop this particular tool.
Today’s story includes inventors from Inverness, Homosassa, Lecanto and the ghost town of Maple, FL.
Patent: 505,740
Inventor: Zachary T. Wilson, Inverness FL
Date: September 26, 1893
Description: This invention relates to metallic hubs for vehicle wheels…that combines lightness and inexpensiveness of construction with the greatest possible amount of strength and durability.
Patent: 579,157
Inventor: William J. May, Homosassa FL
Date: March 23, 1897
Description: This invention relates to needles of the class used in the manufacture and repair of fishermen’s nets of seines and hammocks
Patent: 837,272
Inventor: William A. Allen, Lecanto FL
Date: September 28, 1904
Description: This invention provides a wrench comprising a head pivoted upon a handle-stock with pawls that allow the head to engage rachets in multiple directions. [Note: this device seems to predate the creation of the Craftsman ratcheting wrench by almost 50 years].
Patent: 961,102
Inventor: Chester D. Clark, Maple FL
Date: June 14, 1910
Description: This invention provides a new and novel way to press hay during the cutting/hauling process.
First of all – where was “Maple”? This map from 1911 shows that the village of Maple was located on the Citrus/Hernando county line, near the defunct village of Etna