Narrow Fabric Loom (1899), Crompton & Knowles, Worchester Mass. George Crompton (1829-86) was an American inventor, manufacturer, and businessman and the son of William Crompton, an inventor. He is most well known for his invention, perfection, and popularization of the Crompton Loom, a fancy loom that could reach maximum speeds of eighty-five picks per second, nearly twice the speed of its most efficient predecessors. Crompton Loom Works, located in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, aided in the Civil War effort to provide uniforms and blankets for the U.S. Army.