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J.F. GLIDDEN'S
LIFE TIMELINE
 Jan. 18, 1813 -- Born in New Hampshire
1814 -- Moves to New York
1837 -- Marries Clarrisa Foster
1837 -- John Deere develops first self-scouring steel plow
Between 1837-43 -- Son, Virgil, is
born
Between 1837-43 -- Son, Homer, is born
1842 -- At age 29, leaves New York
with his brother,
Josiah, headed west with a threshing machine
About 1842 -- Buys 600-acre farm in Sec. 22 of DeKalb
County from cousin, Russell Huntley
1843 -- Sends for Clarissa
June, 1843 -- Wife, Clarissa, dies in child birth in Ogle County,
Illinois. Infant
dies a few months later.
1845 -- Takes possession of farm in DeKalb County
1851 -- Marries Lucinda Warne
July 25, 1851 -- Daughter, Elva Glidden, is born in Buena
Vista (now known as DeKalb, IL)
1852 -- Elected sheriff of DeKalb County at
age 39
1853 -- City of DeKalb is established
About 1861 -- Builds his brick home and
barn at what is now 921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb
1873 -- Develops barbed wire ideas
Nov. 24, 1874 -- Receives Patent #157,124 for "The Winner"
barbed wire
June 25, 1875 -- Custer dies at the Little Big Horn
March, 1876 -- Joseph sells half-interest in the Glidden
Ellwood Wire Company to the Washburn and Moen Co.
Feb. 1, 1877 -- Daughter, Elva,
marries W.H. Bush in west
parlor room of
the Glidden home, 921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb
1877-- Leaves his 800-acre country homestead and moves into
the City of DeKalb. |
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July 14,
1879--
Becomes owner/publisher of the DeKalb Chronicle
1881 -- Forms the "Frying Pan Ranch" in Texas with Henry
B. Sanborn
1883 -- Forms the DeKalb National Bank
July, 1884 -- First visits "Frying Pan Ranch" near
Amarillo, Texas
1885 -- Owns approximately 1,500-acres in DeKalb County,
Illinois
Aug. 29, 1887 -- Visits Amarillo, TX,
to take part of its
early stages of elected government and county seat selection
1891 -- Last awarded royalty from
"The Winner" patent
Oct. 28, 1895 -- Wife, Lucinda, dies.
1895 -- Donates $14,000 to help start State Normal School,
now known as
Northern Illinois University
1898 -- At age 85, dissolves
partnership with Sanborn in
"Frying Pan Ranch"
1898 -- Deeds "Frying Pan Ranch" to son-in-law, W.H. Bush
Mid-1890s -- Donates 64 acres to start State Normal School
1903 -- Celebrates 90th birthday with family and friends
1903 -- Wright Brothers make first successful airplane flight
May 19, 1906 -- Daughter, Elva Glidden, dies in DeKalb
Oct. 9, 1906 -- Joseph dies in DeKalb at age 93 |
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Joseph
& Lucinda Glidden
Joseph Farwell
Glidden was born Jan. 18, 1813, in New Hampshire. He and his brothers
arrived in DeKalb County, Illinois, in the farming seasons of 1841 and
1842. Through the custom threshing of grains and the profit it brought,
Joseph purchased 600 acres of land about a mile west of the young
village of DeKalb. A log cabin was built and here, Joseph began life as
a Midwest farmer. He pursued various areas of agriculture through his
many years and regarded the art of farming as a most congenial way of
life. The 1873 application for a patent for barbed wire, later
designated as the authentic original, his generous contribution of land
for location of Northern Illinois State Normal School, and his civic
responsibilities in the area, all substantiate why he was called "the
Grand Old Man of DeKalb County."
Lucinda Warne Glidden had been Joseph's wife and partner for more than
20 years when the patent for "The Winner" was made legal and binding.
Her marriage to the widower Glidden was an event of interest to all in
the DeKalb community. In a short time after their marriage, the red
brick home replaced the log cabin. It became a spot for friendly
gatherings and challenging discussions. The problems of black earth
farming were constant subjects.
Lucinda, in later
recollections, told how during the winter of 1872-73, she found her
large wire hairpins were disappearing from a milk glass dish on her
dresser. At first she thought Elva Frances, her 20-year-old daughter,
was taking them. When asked, Elva replied, "No Mother." The puzzle
continued to bother Lucinda, until one evening after supper when she
noticed her husband reach in his shirt pocket and take out two of her
missing hairpins. "Joseph, what are you doing with my hairpins?" she
asked. He replied that he was working on an idea for a fence. He
continued experimenting with the hairpins whenever he had a little spare
time.
Visit our Barbed Wire Saga page for the
complete story of Joseph's invention. |