Benjamin Forstner
Benjamin Forstner (born March 25, 1834 in Beaver County (Pennsylvania) , † February 27, 1897 in Salem (Oregon) ) was an American gunsmith and inventor.
Forstner's most famous invention was the Forstner bit named after him , which he patented on March 6, 1886. He became very wealthy through licensing to several companies, including the Colt Firearms Company in Hartford, Connecticut and the Bridgeport Gun Implement Company, later Union Metallic Cartridge Company. The Forstner bit is still in production today, although the design has changed slightly.
Life
In the early 1850s , Benjamin Forstner moved to Missouri, where he met William Keil , the founder of a utopian community. He followed him in 1863 to the Pacific Northwest to the Aurora colony in Oregon. In 1865 Forstner moved to Salem, Oregon and married Louisa Snyder the following year. Their only child was an adopted niece of Mrs. Forstner. Benjamin Forstner became a gunsmith who traveled a lot on business. Among other things, he exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876 and the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, where he won awards for his Forstner bit. Through royalty income he became a wealthy citizen and landowner in Salem.
Benjamin Forstner died of flu and was buried on March 2, 1897.
His wife Louisa Forstner died on September 12, 1917 at the age of 75.
Individual evidence
- ^ Salem Pioneer Cemetery Records
- ↑ Patent CA23548 : Auger. Published March 6, 1886 , inventor: Benjamin Forstner.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Forstner, Benjamin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | North American gunsmith and inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 25, 1834 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Beaver County, Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 27, 1897 |
| Place of death | Salem (Oregon) |