In the annals of African American history, Garrett Morgan stands out as an innovator and a hero. Born in 1877 in Paris, Kentucky, Morgan's inventive mind would go on to save lives and revolutionize the way we navigate our roads.
One of Morgan's most significant inventions was the smoke safety hood, which he developed after seeing firefighters struggling to survive in choking smoke.
Morgan rose to national prominence after a tragedy befell Cleveland, Ohio, in 1916. The Waterworks Tunnel explosion had trapped a group of men underground, engulfing them in a thick cloud of toxic smoke and subsequently trapping rescuers as well. Ohio fire officials recalled a demonstration of Morgan's device and sent for him in the middle of the night.
Morgan arrived at the scene, still in his pajamas, with four safety hoods. He went into the tunnel himself with his brother and other volunteers and succeeded rescuing seven men.
But Morgan's contributions didn't stop there. In 1923, he patented another invention that would forever change the way we navigate our streets: the three-position traffic signal. This precursor to today's traffic lights featured a "stop," "go," and "all-way stop" system, ensuring safer and more efficient traffic flow. Morgan's traffic signal was a significant improvement over the existing manual systems, reducing the risk of accidents and providing a standardized method of traffic control.