Elwood Haynes

Elwood Haynes rode the crest of industrialization brought on by the gas boom, led the county's recovery when gas ran out, and left a legacy of innovation for the world. He led the chemistry department at Eastern Normal School, now Ball State University, and became Indiana's leading expert on the Trenton Gas Field. In 1886, he managed construction for the Portland Natural Gas and Oil Company and invented devices for measuring gas emission from wells and removing moisture from gas lines. He also invented stainless steel and Stellite, and in 1912 established the Stellite Company, which played a role in two world wars and the space race and remains in business as Haynes International Inc. In 1890, Haynes began work on a self-propelled vehicle and hired a local Kokomo machine shop to build the prototype. On July 4, 1894, he drove his car for the first time, and he soon began manufacturing his vehicles, earning the title "America's First Car." His prototype is preserved in the Smithsonian Institution. Haynes also helped found the Kokomo YMCA, ran for U.S. Senate in 1916, was appointed to the State Board of Education in 1920, and in 2007 was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit, Michigan.

Kokomo, Indiana · United States