About
Remembered for building the first direct current electric motor, this nineteenth-century blacksmith carried out electromagnetic work that would prove instrumental to the later development of electric streetcars.
Before Fame
He began his experimentation with electromagnets after touring New York's Penfield and Taft iron facility in 1833.
Trivia
He improved the wiring of an electromagnet by weaving in silk taken from the wedding dress worn by his wife.
Family Life
He grew up in Williamstown and Forest Dale, Vermont. His wife, Emily, was his electric motor co-inventor.
Associated With
Davenport's invention was greatly influenced by the electromagnetic work of scientist Joseph Henry.
