Mystic in Stonington in New London County, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Lewis Temple, 1800 - 1954
The Sea Connects Us
— Mystic Seaport Museum —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones, June 24, 2023
1. Lewis Temple, 1800 - 1954 Marker
Inscription.
Lewis Temple, 1800 - 1954. The Sea Connects Us. Blacksmithing and metal work has always been a much-revered occupation in West Africa and it was one of the few skilled trades open to enslaved men before emancipation. Lewis Temple was a 19th-century blacksmith and innovator who was born in Virginia in 1800 and found his way to the busy whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Whalers often complained of the traditional arrow-shaped whaling harpoons, which slipped out of whales. Temple invented a harpoon with a pivoting head that locked its barb inside the whale. It was very similar to harpoons used by Native Americans and the Inuit to catch fish and seals. His invention revolutionized the whaling industry. Temple never patented his invention and it was quickly copied by other shipsmiths, but his invention brought him enough business to open a larger shop before his death in 1854. The Charles W. Morgan benefited from Temple's toggle-headed harpoon design on its 37 whaling voyages.
Blacksmithing and metal work has always been a much-revered occupation in West Africa and it was one of the few skilled trades open to enslaved men before emancipation. Lewis Temple was a 19th-century blacksmith and innovator who was born in Virginia in 1800 and found his way to the busy whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Whalers often complained of the traditional arrow-shaped whaling harpoons, which slipped out of whales. Temple invented a harpoon with a pivoting head that locked its barb inside the whale. It was very similar to harpoons used by Native Americans and the Inuit to catch fish and seals. His invention revolutionized the whaling industry. Temple never patented his invention and it was quickly copied by other shipsmiths, but his invention brought him enough business to open a larger shop before his death in 1854. The Charles W. Morgan benefited from Temple's toggle-headed harpoon design on its 37 whaling voyages.
Location. 41° 21.707′ N, 71° 57.945′ W. Marker is in Stonington
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, Connecticut, in New London County. It is in Mystic. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Greenmanville Avenue (Route 27) and Rossie Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic CT 06355, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
