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Friday, April 16, 2021

Joseph Glidden

Joseph Farwell Glidden (January 18, 1813 – October 9, 1906) was an American businessman and farmer. He was the inventor of the modern barbed wire. In 1898, he donated land for the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois, which was renamed as Northern Illinois University in 1957.
-James

*****

While Joe Glidden didn't invent barbed wire (Michael Kelly took that claim in 1868), he was by far the most successful manufacturer, a legacy that still holds today. I'd say that 95% of the barbed wire sold today sports a Glidden barb.
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1 comment:

  1. Rampant ClamApril 16, 2021 at 11:57 AM

    It wasn't until I went to Northern Illinois U, in DeKalb, that I found out about Glidden and barb wire. The town's nickname was "Barb city". Before then all I thought DeKalb was famous for was their hybrid corn.

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