Horace Wyman

Background

Horace Wyman was born on November 27, 1827, in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachussets, where his father manufactured boots and shoes.

Education

Wyman obtained a sound early schooling in the public schools and subsequently attended the Warren Academy, Woburn, and the Francestown Academy.

Career

In 1846, he entered the employ of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, Manchester, New Hampshire, to learn the trade of machinist, and for the next fourteen years he was variously employed in manufacturing establishments in New England. These included the Lowell Machine Company's Works, at Lowell, the Hinckley Locomotive Works at Boston, and the shops of the Holyoke Water Power Company at Holyoke, where he became a draftsman in 1854. About 1860 Wyman met George Crompton, a manufacturer of looms at Worcester, Massachussets, and shortly thereafter moved to that city to become associated with Crompton as superintendent of his establishment. He now began to show his inventive talent, which brought him over two hundred patents during his life.

One of Wyman's first patents, issued to him on October 29, 1867, was for a loom. This was followed by a loom-box operating mechanism patented January 31, 1871; a pile-fabric loom, patented July 2, 1872; and an improved shedding mechanism, patented January 5, 1875. Following these came a group of inventions, some patented jointly with Crompton, involving improvements which permitted certain fabrics to be woven in more than one color and in larger pieces than before. Wyman also developed processes by which rugs and carpets could be woven in larger sizes. His patent of July 15, 1879, was for the first American "dobby" loom.

Upon the death of Crompton in 1886 and the reorganization of the Crompton Loom Works, Wyman was made manager, holding that position until 1897 when, upon the consolidation of the Crompton Works and those of Lucius J. Knowles as the Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, he became vice-president and consulting engineer for the new enterprise.

One of Horace Wyman's last but very important inventions was the weft replenishing loom having drop shuttle boxes; this was patented January 8, 1901.

He found time, too, to publish two books on family history: The Wyman Families in Great and Little Hormead, Herts County, England (1895) and Some Account of the Wyman Genealogy (1897).

Horace Wyman retained the position of vice-president and consulting engineer until his death on May 8, 1915. He was buried in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Achievements

• A noted innovator, who devoted his attention particularly to the improvement of looms, Horace Wyman was granted up over two hundred patents, most of which were for improvements in textile machinery, increasing production, improving the quality of goods and cheapening the cost of production.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Some Account of the Wyman Genealogy: And Wyman Families in Herts County, England (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Some Account of the Wyman Genealogy: And Wym...)

  • Some Account Of The Wyman Genealogy And Wyman Families In Herts County, England (1897)

    (This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

Membership

Horace Wyman was active in several local technical societies and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Worcester County Mechanics' Association, the Worcester Society of Antiquity and of the board of managers of the Old Men's Home.

Connections

On May 1, 1860, Horace Wyman married Louise Baker Horton. The couple had four children.

Father:

Abel Wyman

Mother:

Maria Wyman (Wade)

Sister:

Nancy Maria Parker (Wyman)

Wife:

Louisa Baker Wyman (Horton)

Daughter:

Maria Louise Wyman

Daughter:

Adelaide Richards Wood (Wyman)

Son:

Horace Winfield Wyman

Son:

Josie Horton Wyman

Brother:

Ward Wyman

Brother:

Charles Austin Wyman

Brother:

Winthrop Wyman