Story

Ideas Patented in Shamokin

More than two hundred patent records connect Shamokin residents with practical inventions for mines, railroads, homes, workshops, and everyday commerce.

Historically established
First page and technical drawing from John H. Gable's 1879 miner's lamp patent
John H. Gable miner's lamp patentFirst page of U.S. Patent No. 217,791 for John H. Gable's miner's lamp, patented in 1879.Image date: 1879

Inventors Working in Shamokin

Patent documents identify inventors by name and residence, placing Shamokin inside the national patent system. Will B. Wood’s 1889 filing is one example of a local inventor using that system to protect a mechanical idea.

A Record Built From Drawings and Claims

A patent records what an inventor claimed, when the application was filed, and when protection was granted. The drawings and technical language can be demanding, but they preserve the design in the inventor’s own period.

Ideas Shaped by Daily Work

The Shamokin-connected catalog ranges from mining and rail equipment to household tools and retail devices. Together, the records show experimentation growing out of the practical problems residents encountered at work and at home.