Necessity is the mother of invention. The proverb means when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. Inventions are the result of human creativity and problem-solving, often inspired by nature, necessity, or curiosity.
Indiana is the home to numerous designs that were created here. Onlyinyourstate.com has cultivated a list of Hoosier home-grown inventions. Let’s review:
Inventions Created in Indiana
Gas-Powered Vehicles-A Kokomo, Indiana man named Elwood Haynes engineered the first vehicle that ran on gasoline in 1894. Rockefeller was so pleased! Additionally, Haynes is also the father of stainless steel. It began its existence as a cobalt/chromium alloy around 1912.
Gasoline Pump-You might be paying more than you want for gasoline but the process of getting the substance into your vehicle is easier because of a Hoosier. The very first gasoline pump was invented on September 5th of 1885 in Fort Wayne by Sylvanus Freelove Bowser.
The Exit Bar on Doors-After a fire took nearly 600 lives of people trapped in a theatre, the exit bars were first released in 1908. Consequently, the exit bars ensure doors could be locked from the outside but still be openable from the inside.
Seat Belts-In 1922, an Indy 500 racer recognized that most fatalities occurred from drivers being ejected during accidents, so he requested that a harness be installed in his seat.
Transiter Radio-This little radio came out in 1954 and revolutionized the future of handheld electronics. The TR-1 paved the way for handheld audio devices.
Theme Parks-Move over Walt Disney. Louis Koch wanted to create a place for children that visited the town of Santa Claus. In 1946, Santa Claus Land opened for the first time. Subsequently, the rest is history!The Machine Gun-Richard Gatling from Indianapolis is credited for being the inventor of the first machine gun. This invention happened in 1862.
Chuck Taylor Shoes-Chuck Taylor wanted a better basketball shoe and began toiling around in 1921. After working with Converse, he came up with Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
Mechanical Corn Picker-In 1920 in Kokomo, John Powell sought a more expedient way of picking corn and created the machine. Imagine that! A corn picker invented in Indiana.
First Household Washing Machine-As a birthday present for his wife, William Blackstone decided to build a contraption in 1874 to make it a little easier for her to clean their clothing.
