Farmer, Moses G.

Moses Gerrish Farmer (1820-1893) an inventor who perhaps was the first person to have a room in his house lighted by electric incandescent sources. He lighted a room in his house at 11 Pearl St. Salem every night during the month of July, 1859. He used a galvanic battery in the cellar which furnished the electric current passed by wires up to his parlour where on the mantelpiece were two electric lamps. He discontinued it after a month because due to the acids and zinc consumed in the battery made the light cost four times as much as an equivalent amount of gas light. His interest developed broadly in the field of electricity. At age 26, he built an electric railroad and two years later improved the telegraph. At 30 he invented and constructed the fire alarm system with water powered dynamos and within 5 years, he discovered the means of duplex and quadrulex telegraph.

See Also

• Vertical File in Salem Collection - Farmer, Moses