History's Best Selling Tech of 1874

Extra! Extra! Step right up to inspect the definitive collection of first-rate tech releases from 1874. Discover the genuine articles of American ingenuity that captured the public's fancy and won nationwide acclaim during this historic era.

1. Barbed Wire

   Released in 1874 by Joseph Glidden

   November 24, 1874, marks a pivotal moment in the history of the American West. On this day, the U.S. Patent Office granted Joseph F. Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois, patent number 157,124 for his 'Improvement in Wire-Fences'. This was not the first patent for barbed wire, but Glidden's design was the most practical, effective, and easily mass-produced. The patent protected his simple but ingenious method of twisting two strands of wire together to hold sharp barbs securely in place. This legal protection allowed Glidden to commercialize his invention, which would soon fence the prairies, end the open range, and forever change the face of agriculture and land ownership.