Jacob Haish
Encyclopedia
Jacob Haish was one of the first inventors of barbed wire
. His type of barbed wire was in direct competition with the other barbed wire manufacturers in DeKalb, Illinois
. He was a known carpenter and architect in DeKalb County and designed several prominent DeKalb homes.
and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1835. He came to Illinois in 1845, and moved to DeKalb in 1853, where he was a carpenter. He cultivated osage orange hedges whose thorns made them effective as cattle fencing.
ed his fence in May 1873 and exhibited it at the DeKalb County
Fair that summer. This prompted Haish and other DeKalb residents Isaac Ellwood and Joseph Glidden
to work on improving the concept. Haish had patented three styles of barbed fencing by June, 1874, before Joseph Glidden's patent issued that November. When Haish's patent for an "S-barb" design was granted in August, 1875, he launched a drawn out legal battle to stymie his rival. It failed at the US Supreme Court in 1892, but he continued in the business until his retirement in 1916.
building on Lincoln Highway
.
Haish had bequested a $150,000 gift to the library in his will in 1931. The result was the Haish Memorial Library
on the outskirts of downtown DeKalb.
, were purchased with a $10,000 gift from Haish; equipment for the library was purchased with an additional $1,400 donation.
Haish Patents: – Jacob Haish, DeKalb, Illinois, Improvement in Wire Fences – "spirally wrapped wires, the ends being hooked together to form projecting spikes" (January, 1874) – Improvement in Barbed Fences – "sheet metal pronged attachments", riveted or nailed to fence rails (February, 1874) – Barbed-Wire Fences – "twisted wires and spirally interwoven metallic strip having projecting spurs" (June, 1874) – Improvement in Wire-fence Barbs – "single piece of wire bent into the form of the letter S" so that both strands are clasped (August, 1875) This improvement was the foundation for Haish's successful business.
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
. His type of barbed wire was in direct competition with the other barbed wire manufacturers in DeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....
. He was a known carpenter and architect in DeKalb County and designed several prominent DeKalb homes.
Early life
Haish was born in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1835. He came to Illinois in 1845, and moved to DeKalb in 1853, where he was a carpenter. He cultivated osage orange hedges whose thorns made them effective as cattle fencing.
The birth of barbed wire
In late 1872 Henry Rose developed a wire fence with an attached wooden strip containing projecting wire points to dissuade encroaching livestock. He patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed his fence in May 1873 and exhibited it at the DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
Fair that summer. This prompted Haish and other DeKalb residents Isaac Ellwood and Joseph Glidden
Joseph Glidden
Joseph Farwell Glidden was an American farmer who patented barbed wire, a product that forever altered the development of the American West.- Biography :...
to work on improving the concept. Haish had patented three styles of barbed fencing by June, 1874, before Joseph Glidden's patent issued that November. When Haish's patent for an "S-barb" design was granted in August, 1875, he launched a drawn out legal battle to stymie his rival. It failed at the US Supreme Court in 1892, but he continued in the business until his retirement in 1916.
Haish gifts a library
On July 1, 1893 the city council of DeKalb, Illinois decreed the establishment of a public library. The oridnance's impetus was mostly requests from the Ladies of the Library Association, a group that had conducted a reading room for a few years. The library moved twice before the Haish gift came along. First located on the second floor of city hall and then later, in 1923, the second floor of the DeKalb Daily ChronicleDaily Chronicle (Illinois)
The Daily Chronicle is a newspaper which covers DeKalb County in northern Illinois. Its newsroom and press are located in DeKalb, Illinois, a city about 60 miles west of Chicago along Interstate 88. The paper has a daily circulation of 9,968 and a Sunday circulation of 10,719, as of September 30,...
building on Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
.
Haish had bequested a $150,000 gift to the library in his will in 1931. The result was the Haish Memorial Library
Haish Memorial Library
The Haish Memorial Library was designed by Chicago architects White and Weber and built in the art deco style of the 1930s with funds left to the library by Jacob Haish in his 1928 will...
on the outskirts of downtown DeKalb.
Other gifts
Haish's philanthropy extended to the greater DeKalb community as well. He built an opera house in 1876, which, incidentally burned down in 1906, though it was quickly rebuilt. He also gave money to help fund a public gymnasium and an addition to the DeKalb Public Hospital. The first books at Northern Illinois State Normal School, later Northern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
, were purchased with a $10,000 gift from Haish; equipment for the library was purchased with an additional $1,400 donation.
External links
- Jacob Haish biographical timeline
- History: DeKalb Public Library
- Location of Haish mansion built in 1884, demolished in 1961
Haish Patents: – Jacob Haish, DeKalb, Illinois, Improvement in Wire Fences – "spirally wrapped wires, the ends being hooked together to form projecting spikes" (January, 1874) – Improvement in Barbed Fences – "sheet metal pronged attachments", riveted or nailed to fence rails (February, 1874) – Barbed-Wire Fences – "twisted wires and spirally interwoven metallic strip having projecting spurs" (June, 1874) – Improvement in Wire-fence Barbs – "single piece of wire bent into the form of the letter S" so that both strands are clasped (August, 1875) This improvement was the foundation for Haish's successful business.