Jesse W. Reno
Encyclopedia
Jesse Wilford Reno invented the first working escalator
in 1891 (patented March 15, 1892) used at the Old Iron Pier, Coney Island
, New York City
. His invention was referred to as the "inclined elevator." An earlier escalator machine, termed "revolving stairs" by its inventor Nathan Ames
, was patented March 9, 1859, but was never built.
Reno was born in 1861 in Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
. He was the son of American Civil War
notable Jesse L. Reno
. He graduated from Lehigh University
in 1883 with an engineering degree in mining, later a metallurgical degree, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
in 1891 (patented March 15, 1892) used at the Old Iron Pier, Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His invention was referred to as the "inclined elevator." An earlier escalator machine, termed "revolving stairs" by its inventor Nathan Ames
Nathan Ames
Nathan Ames Educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, and Harvard, Ames was a patent solicitor who held the first patent in the United States for an escalator-like machine. The patent was granted on August 9, 1859 for an invention he called "Revolving Stairs"...
, was patented March 9, 1859, but was never built.
Reno was born in 1861 in Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He was the son of American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
notable Jesse L. Reno
Jesse L. Reno
Jesse Lee Reno was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War, the western frontier, and as a Union General during the American Civil War...
. He graduated from Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
in 1883 with an engineering degree in mining, later a metallurgical degree, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity.