Granville Tailer Woods, born on April 23, 1856 in Columbus Ohio, to free parents, but received little formal education in his youth, holding various labor and engineering positions while traveling. By 1880, he was Chief Engineer of a British steamer. Upon his return to America, he worked in Dayton and Cincinnati, where he established an engineering company, Woods Electric Co. Woods was known for his work with trains, notably improving communications systems between trains and railroad management. He was often compared to Thomas Edison as a result of prolific his inventions were. Woods died on January 30, 1910 in New York City. Granville T. Woods was made a Great Ohioan in 2013.
This image is courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society.