Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-10-07
FAMOUS INVENTOR HoNoRED.
Tablet Unveiled In Memory Of Thomas
Davenport, Father Of Electric Motor
and Electric Railroad.

In the hamlet of Forestdale, town Of
Brandon, a table was unveiled Sept. 2S,
in the presence of 500 people, to the mem
DRY of Thomas Davenport, father of the
electric motor and electric railway The
memorial was erected Jointly by the YER
mont Electrical association and the New
England section of the National Electric
Light association, and was presented to
the Vermont Historical society The tab
let is placed on a marble slab and bears
this inscriptions:
In memory Of Thomas Davenport,
1S02-1S5l Inventor Of the electric
motor. Near this spot stood the
building where he developed his in
vention This tablet is placed here
by the allied electrical associations in
America in recognition OF the great
service rendered mankind by the in
vention, to the development Of which
he devoted his life. Erected Septem-
Der 2S, 1910"
Mrs. a. J. Campbell Of New London,
Conn, and Miss Davenport, of Washing
ton, ID. c., unveiled the tablet The ex-
ercises included prayer by Rev. w. c.
Davenport Of Washington, ID. c., son Of
the inventor; address by A. j. Camp
bell of Boston, president of the New Eng
land section OF the National Electric
Light association, and acceptance Of the
memorial by eX-Gov. w. w. Suckney Of
Ludlow on behalf of the Vermont His
torical society. T. G. Martin of New
York, secretary of the National Electric
Light association, reviewed the life and
scientific researches of Davenport from
his birth in Williamstown i'm 1902 to his
death at the age of 40. Davenport's ia
Their died when the lad was 10 years old
and he was apprenticed to a blacksmith
in Forestdae
In one corner of the old blacksmith shop
he arranged a laboratory and In this
crude workshop he conceived the idea of
transmission OF intelligence by wire be-
fore Morse invented the telegraph Here
he produced the first real electric motor
and here before there was a mile Of
steam railway in Vermont, he built and
operated a successful model electric rail-
way. Later he removed to New York to
further perfect his inventions
In that city he was the first to hitch
electric power to the printing press and
the first TO publish an electrical journal,
the Electro Magnet, and later the Mag
net, both OF which expired after one or
two issues
Broken in health and financially ruined.
ne finally returned to Vermont, where he
died July g. 1851.
Davenport's inventive career was one
OF encouragement and misfortune
Though he died in poverty, II his patents
were i'm force today the royalties would
amount to more. than the income OF Rock
etelIer or Carnegie, and perhaps to more
than both combined.
Several relatives OF the inventor were
present, including Rev. w r. Daven-
port OF Bellows Falls
The Vermont Electrical association,
| which held Its annual meeting in Brandon
In connection with the unwilling OF the
tablet, elected these officers: Pres. C. Z.
| Parker of Nergennes; vice pres, Frank
Barnes Of Springfield and w NJ Hughes
OF Bristol; sec. and treas, w r. Mars
| den of Montpelier: eX com, +. ]. Royce
| OF Bellows Falls, c. c. Wells OF Middle
bury. S. F. Haley Of Rutland. Walter
Norce of st. Adams. Wilfred Smith OF
| Woodstock.