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28: The Ladder and the Legacy: The Inventive Life of Joseph R. Winters
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Date: May 28, 2025
Legacy Makers: Stories of Black Inventors and Icons
Title and Show Info
Episode #28. The Ladder and the Legacy: The Inventive Life of Joseph R. Winters.
Featuring: Toni Davis (Host & Storyteller).
Summary
đď¸ The Ladder and the Legacy: The Inventive Life of Joseph R. Winters
When fire threatened the booming cities of 19th-century America, one man saw beyond the flamesâand built a ladder to the future.
Born a free person of color in 1816 Virginia, with Shawnee roots and a heart full of observation, Joseph R. Winters defied every limitation society tried to place on him. In this episode, we trace his journey from herbalist apprentice and railroad worker to self-taught inventor, songwriter, and the man behind one of the most important firefighting innovations of his time: the wagon-mounted metal fire escape ladder.
But Josephâs story isnât just about patents and pulleys. Itâs about grit, loss, poetry, perseveranceâand a quiet genius who made it his mission to solve problems others didnât dare to touch. From Underground Railroad whispers to oil drilling dreams and a gunsmith shop with more plot twists than a crime novel, Josephâs life is a riveting tale of resilience and raw ingenuity.
Join us as we climb through history on the rungs of a forgotten legacyâone invention, one verse, one act of courage at a time.
đĽ History never sounded so inventive.
Highlights:
00:56- INTRO.
02:34- JOSEPH R. WINTERSâ BIRTH.
03:01- HIS FATHER.
03:16- HIS MOTHER.
03:28- HIS GRANDMOTHER.
04:13- RELOCATES TO PENNSYLVANIA.
04:32- FARMER.
04:48- EMPLOYED BY THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY RAILROAD SHOP AS A MECHANIC.
06:26- MARRIES.
06:42- CHILDREN.
07:33- MUSICIAN AND POET. 1ST SONG.
09:57- FILES FOR HIS 1ST PATENT.
10:21- INVENTOR. 1ST PATENT #203,517.
11:42- DEMONSTRATES HIS INVENTION.
12:40- 2ND PATENT #214,224.
13:27- 3RD PATENT #258,186.
14:01- ENTREPRENEUR.
14:09- OPENS THE WINTERSâ COAL, OIL, GAS, MINERAL MINING COMPANY.
14:56- SELLS SHARES IN THE WINTERSâ PROSPECTING COMPANY.
15:54- OPENS A GUNSMITH SHOP.
16:21- GUNSMITH SHOP IS ROBBED.
17:06- 2ND SONG.
17:27- GUNSMITH SHOP ROBBED A 2ND TIME.
17:44- RETURNS TO THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY RAILROAD SHOPS.
18:19- CHAMBERSBURG MAROONS BASEBALL TEAM.
18:40- PASSES AWAY.
18:50- BURIED.
19:20- PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION ERECTS A MARKER IN 2005.
20:15- CONCLUSION.
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Links to additional resources:
Joseph Winters: African American Inventor
Chambersburg man held numerous patents
https://aaregistry.org/story/j-r-winters-lyricist-and-inventor-born/
Joseph W. Winters (1816-1916) | BlackPast.org
US203517A - Improvement in fire-escape ladders - Google Patents
A Black Man Receives the First of Two Patents for a Fire Escape Ladder - African American Registry
A Black Man Receives His Second Fire Escape Ladder Patent - African American Registry
Joseph Winters and the Fire Escape Ladder
US214224A - Improvement in fire-escape ladders - Google Patents
Joseph Winters - Fire Escape Ladder
Little Known Black History Fact: Joseph R. Winter
Joseph Richard âNigerianâ Winters (1816-1916) - Find a Grave Memorial
5 Big Changes Made to Firetrucks Over Time To Improve Safety
Joseph Winters Historical Marker
Who was Joseph Winters (1816-1916) and what did he invent? - YEN.COM.GH
Joseph Richard âNigerianâ Winters: Ladders of Success | Post News Group
Fire Safety And the Underground Railroad
Joseph Richard Winters (1816-1916) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree
Mt. Lebanon Cemetery â Chambersburg, PA | Pennsylvania Grand Review
Calls to Action: The Civil War Era Songs of Joseph R. Winters - The Journal of the Civil War Era
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