Inventor" and "problem solver" were some of the words used by Gwendolyn Dickinson when describing her grandfather William Chester Ruth of Gap during a program held recently at Sadsbury Friends Meeting as part of its speaker series.
Ruth, the son of a slave, became a renowned agricultural inventor who earned patents for various farm implements that he invented. "(His story) is one that I have been wanting to share for a long time," said Dickinson. "My brother and I discussed it at length - how can we make sure that his contributions are not forgotten?"
Since her brother passed away, Dickinson said it became her responsibility to share her grandfather's story as she is his only surviving grandchild. "We formed the William Chester Ruth Legacy Project (in 2022) in order to help us further spread this story," she noted. "Fortunately, we made a lot of progress in terms of getting the word out. One of the first things we did when we formed the project was to interview people from the community who knew my grandfather. We were able to interview them, and we did a short video of their recollections of my grandfather."
Dickinson shared the video with audience members, which further described Ruth as a visionary and awe-inspiring.
According to the video, Ruth's father, Samuel, was a former slave, who was taken from his mother's arms as the plantation owners sold her into slavery when Samuel was 7 years old. Samuel later joined the Union Army at the age of 13.
After the war, Samuel traveled to Pennsylvania with two of his Union Army friends where he met and fell in love with his wife, Maria Louisa Pinn, who was the sister of one his friends. Samuel and Louisa, as she was known, married at age 15 and eventually settled in Ercildoun. Samuel worked as a thresherman and then started his own threshing businesses. Louisa had 12 children, including William, who was born in 1882.
From an early age, Ruth had a mechanical mind, and he became used to using farming and threshing equipment from his father's businesses. He also became skilled in blacksmithing.
Ruth eventually married Gertrude Miller from Gap in 1906, and they settled in the Gap area. Around 1917, Ruth landed a job at Lukens Iron and Steel Company in Coatesville. Later, in 1923, he opened Ruth's Ironworks on Route 30 in Gap, which specialized in welding and metal fabrication.
Ruth's first patented invention was the combination baler feeder in 1925.The machine collected straw that was exiting athresherand fed the straw efficiently into the chamber of abaler. He sold more than 5,000 baler feeder machines.
Ruth then invented a farm elevator, which was used to transport bays of hay to silos. In 1928, Ruth invented an automatic tie for a hay baler.His next invention, the mechanical cinder spreader, was used to spread cinders over icy roads.
"Grandfather was inquisitive and industrious. In the 1950s, he invented an aerial-type amusement park ride," Dickinson pointed out, noting that he first created a scale model of his idea. "He built a full-sized one for me. My friends and I had the privilege of riding it."
In the beginning of World War II, when he was 60, Ruth was commissioned by the United States government to design and manufacture secret wartime devices for airplanes. Some of his inventions were later used in the design of the Trident missile in the 1950s.
Ruth died in an automobile accident in Lancaster County on April 3, 1971. He was 89.
Dickinson noted that theLandis Valley Museumfeatures a William Chester Ruth exhibit, where visitors can view working models of Ruth's inventions and a full-scale example of his baler feeder. He was also granted a Pennsylvania Historical Marker, located at the former site of his shop in Gap, in 2006.
Concluding her talk, Dickinson provided each audience member with a magnet that features a quote by her grandfather, which reads, "You were born with a purpose for being in this world. Develop your capabilities to the fullest."
Those who would like to learn more about William Chester Ruth may visit http://www.wcruthlegacy.org.
For more information about Sadsbury Friends Meeting, 1089 Simmontown Road, Gap, visit http://www.sadsburyfriendsmeeting.org.
Related Articles
GriefShare program offers healing and hope
Receiving support, expert guidance and encouragement are some of the...
Read More
Girls' rugby initiative launched
Rugby Pennsylvania, the governing body for youth and high school...
Read More
Community Calendar
Jan. 8. Kacie's Cause Support GroupParkesburg Baptist Church103 West St.,...
Read More
