James C. Potter: Difference between revisions
Pawtucketray (talk | contribs) m Adding photo of Potter, obtained from "An Illustrated History of Pawtucket" which was published in 1896. |
Pawtucketray (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 69: | Line 69: | ||
[[Category:1925 deaths]] |
[[Category:1925 deaths]] |
||
[[Category:People from Glasgow]] |
[[Category:People from Glasgow]] |
||
[[Category:Rhode_Island]] |
|||
Revision as of 21:48, 27 December 2010
James C. Potter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 1, 1855 |
| Died | October 30, 1925 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | engineer |
| Known for | Business and civic leadership in Pawtucket, Rhode Island |
James C. Potter (May 1, 1855 - October 30, 1925) was an American engineer, inventor, businessman and civic leader in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. A native of Scotland, he was schooled at the Mechanics' Institutes in Glasgow and was also a member of the 5th Battalion of the Royal Rifles. Potter came to the United States in 1874 and later became a citizen on October 31, 1892.[1]
Potter, also known as J.C. Potter, thrived in Pawtucket, helping to found two successful companies. In 1887 he started the Potter and Atherton Machine Company in Pawtucket. In 1893 he organized and was later President of the Howard & Bullough American Machine Company., also in Pawtucket, which went on to employ up to 1000 people.
Also a successful inventor, Potter was granted several patents, including a Stripping Mechanism for Carding-Machines (filed Feb 27, 1885), the Turret Lathe (filed March 27, 1905)[2] and the Automatic Turret Lathe (filed Mar 11, 1919).
In 1879 he was married in Baltimore, Md., to Charlotte Holland and had six children: Wallace and Clara born in Lowell, and Charlotte, Elizabeth, James and Mary born in Pawtucket.
In 1917, Potter served as the chairman of the Pawtucket Park Commission.[3]
Numerous buildings in Pawtucket are named after Potter, including the Potter-Burns Elementary School (formerly J.C. Potter Elementary), and the Potter Casino building in Slater Park.
References
- ^ An illustrated history of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and vicinity : a narrative of the growth and evolution of the community, 1897.[1] Accessed 25 May 2010.
- ^ Official gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 194
- ^ Johnson, Elizabeth Jackson, Wheaton, James Lucas , and Reed, Susan Leach , (1996) Pawtucket, p 91.