Granville T. Woods was born April 23, 1856 in Columbus, OH. He dedicated his life to developing a variety of electrical inventions. Known to some as the 'Black Edison', he received over sixty patents in his lifetime. His most noted invention was a communication system that let the engineer of a train know thier proximity to other trains, cutting down on train collisions. Largely self educated Woods only recieved three years of formal schooling. After two apprenticeships Woods worked as a locomotive engineer, and later founded Woods Electrical Company in 1884.
