By Roger and Marcia Eaton, grandson*
*Relation to Andy and Flora Lehr
Many of us have had ideas for products that would be useful inventions. Only a few people file patent applications. This is an essay of one of our relatives who pursued the legal process to file a patent for his idea.
Henry Gephart’s father passed away at the age of 37 in 1871. Henry was 12 years old. The 1880 United States Census lists the family living in Chicago, Illinois. Five years later, his mother, Martha Grace (Frazer), married Alfred Masterson. She met Alfred while on a visit with her sister Ellen (Frazer) Berkley in Ellsworth, Kansas.
Martha and Alfred built a flour mill in Lincoln County, Kansas. The town of Sylvan Grove, Kansas sprang up surrounding the mill. Sylvan Grove is near Ellsworth. Henry remained in Chicago.
On May 2, 1880, Henry married Emma Norton in Chicago, Illinois. Together that had three children. The 1920 Census lists the family in Kanawha, West Virginia. Later, in the 1930 census they are listed in Franklin Ohio.
Henry was active in his communities. He served on the board of directors of a cooperative grocery store along with several service organizations.
His grandfather, Samuel Frazer, was a silversmith and his uncle was a silversmith and watchmaker. His father-in-law was a brass molder. That may have influenced Henry’s occupation selection. The 1880 United States Census lists Henry’s occupation as brass molder. By the 1900 census, he was a foreman at a tool factory. At the age of 51, in 1910, he is listed as a mechanical engineer.
Henry and Harry Wilson filed for a patent on their hammer in October of 1912 and were awarded a patent in February of 1913. To me, the hammer is a primitive tool about the same as the wheel. Their design included a claw for extracting nails. Both men worked at the Van Doren Manufacturing, a tool manufacturing company, when they received their patent.
Henry and his family relocated as his jobs required. He eventually retired in Columbus, Ohio. He and Emma lived their final years with their daughter.
Note: The information on death certificates is based on relatives’ best recollection. In this case, the birthplace is incorrect – his father was born in Germany.
The title of this essay was inspired by the song made popular by Peter, Paul and Mary, If I Had a Hammer.
