Beaver County National Firsts
September - 30, 1785 -Thomas Hutchins began the first survey of U.S. public lands at the "Point of Beginning” on the north bank of the Ohio River where it crosses the western border of Pennsylvania.
1792/1793 – General Anthony Wayne established Legion Ville near present-day Ambridge making it the first training ground for the U.S. Army.
July 4, 1833 - Marcus T. C. Gould of New Brighton was the originator of a system of stenography and the inventor of the first self-supplying fountain pen.
1857 - Merrick, Hanna and Company made wrought iron railroad passenger cars in New Brighton, thought to be the first metal rail cars made in the United States
September 21, 1860 - S.M. Kier of Pittsburgh began to refine petroleum from crude oil. He was perhaps the first in the county and one of the first in the country to do so.
1878 - Robert Magee Downie invented the first well drilling rig to be mounted on wheels.
1884 - Oliver Shallenberger invented the "Wattsmeter” (electric meter) that would allow the public to use alternating current.
1906 – The Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing Company produced the first enameled license
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July 1912 – The Keystone Steam Driller Company began producing the "Skimmer” which was the precursor of the backhoe.
1918 - White Mine in Cannelton opened and was the first strip mine in America.
April 20, 1918 - The first porcelain enamel kitchen range in the U.S. was produced at Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing in Beaver Falls.
March 18, 1918 – Daylight Savings Time was introduced to the U.S. by part-time Center Township (Sylvan Crest) resident Robert Garland.
1922 - The first successful production and piercing of seamless stainless steel and pure nickel tubing in America was accomplished at the Beaver Falls Babcock & Wilcox Tube Company plant.
1929 – American Bridge Company designed and built the first all-welded barge.
1937 - Darlington Polo Club was founded in Darlington, and it became the first club to have a lighted field in the United States.
April 12, 1937 -In the Landmark case, National Relations Board vs. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, which originated in Beaver County, the U.S. Supreme Court established the legal basis for collective bargaining between labor unions and employers.
1947 - George Charles Izenour, born in New Brighton, developed an electronic dimming system for stage lighting, the first of its kind. It was used in television and theaters throughout the country.
1948
December 2, 1957 - The world's first commercial electric plant powered by atomic energy went on line in Shippingport.
1958 - Jones & Laughlin Aliquippa Works operated
America's first experimental Basic Oxygen Furnace.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is March 18, 1918.
Location. 40° 41.88′ N, 80° 17.824′ W. Marker is in Beaver, Pennsylvania, in Beaver County. Marker is on East End Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Beaver PA 15009, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Beaver County Firsts (here, next to this marker); Properties On The National Register of Historic Places (here, next to this marker); Transportation (a few steps from this marker); County Growth Continues 1881-1900 (a few steps from this marker); Early Industry And Development 1815-1860 (a few steps from this marker); Industry Flourishes 1861-1880 (a few steps from this marker); Beaver County Is Born 1800-1814 (a few steps from this marker); History Of Beaver Station & Vicinity (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beaver.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 306 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
