On this date in 1853, Elisha Otis opened a small elevator factory in Yonkers, New York. His original plans were to join the California gold rush, but he remained in Yonkers to fill an order for two freight elevators, equipped with his newly-invented automatic safety device.
His pioneering work in making safe elevators helped usher in the age of skyscrapers. Otis elevators carried us to and from the observation deck of the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which we visited this summer. The bridge in the background of the photo is the one we crossed to enter Canada.
I'm partial to Yonkers as my folks lived there for awhile, after I'd graduated from NYU and started working for the Navy at Indian Head, MD.
Otis Elevator is still doing business today, although its now owned by the United Technologies Corporation.
No comments:
Post a Comment