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- Born:
- May 10, 1808, Ludlow, Mass., U.S.
- Died:
- Aug. 31, 1865, Hartford, Conn. (aged 57)
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Elisha King Root
American inventor, engineer, and manufacturer
Elisha King Root (born May 10, 1808, Ludlow, Mass., U.S.ādied Aug. 31, 1865, Hartford, Conn.) was an American inventor, engineer, and manufacturer.
Root worked in a cotton mill from age 10 and later as a machinist. He became superintendent of Samuel Coltās firearms company in 1849, and he succeeded Colt as president on the latterās death. In 1853 he designed a drop hammer, which was soon being used in every forge in the world. His numerous inventions and innovations were principally responsible for Coltās preeminence in small arms.
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