BARBED WIRE FENCES THE WEST 1874

Description

On November 24, 1874, the United States Patent Office issued Patent No. 157124 to Joseph F. Glidden of De Kalb, Illinois. Glidden invented “a new and valuable improvement in wire fences,” with the goal to “preserve cattle from breaking through wire fences…the fence wire is composed of two strands which are designed to be twisted together after the spur.” The United States Patent Office issued a total of nine patents for wire fence improvements in the five years leading up to and including Glidden’s. Michael Kelly was issued the first patent in November, 1868.