Amos Ives Root (1839–1923) was an
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
entrepreneur who developed innovative techniques for
beekeeping during the latter 19th century, a period when the practice played an important role in the economy of many communities in the U.S. He founded his own company, which continues in business to the present day. His wide-ranging interests and curiosity led him to become the only eyewitness to publish articles about successful airplane flights made by the
Wright brothers in Ohio in 1904–1905.
Career
Root began working as a jewelry manufacturer and took up beekeeping in his twenties as a hobby. Among his major contributions was a method to harvest
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
without destroying the
beehive
A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus '' Apis'' live and raise their young. Though the word ''beehive'' is commonly used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature ...
. He became a nationally and internationally known expert and a wealthy businessman.
Root founded his company in 1869 in his hometown of
Medina, Ohio
Medina ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Medina County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,094 at the 2020 Census. It lies about 33 miles (53 km) south of Cleveland and 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron within the Clevelan ...
, to manufacture beehives and beekeeping equipment. At the peak of its business, the company was shipping four railroad freight cars of beekeeping equipment a day.
Root held strong
Christian beliefs and wrote about his ideas and observations of contemporary society in a trade publication he started, ''Gleanings in Bee Culture''. His book, "ABC of Bee Culture" was published in 1879 and continues to be updated in the present day as "The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture."
During Root's tenure a piano was installed at the factory and employee breaks were mandated. During the break
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
s would be sung and employees were prohibited from visiting the nearby tavern.
In the late 1890s Root's company started selling beekeeping equipment produced by competitor
Dadant and Sons, Inc. The venture was unsuccessful and was discontinued. In 1928 the company began a transition into candle-making when a local priest made a request for high quality liturgical candles. The production of beekeeping equipment was reduced and eventually phased out.
The company, now known as Root Candles, is still owned by the Root family and is run by his great-great grandson.
The company's influence in its hometown is seen in the name of the Medina High School mascot: the "Battling Bees."
Visiting the Wrights
Always eager to learn about new technology, Root took great interest in the Wright brothers after reading sketchy newspaper reports about their 1903
Kitty Hawk flights and experiments in early 1904 in Ohio.
He combined his curiosity about flying machines with his enthusiasm for another recent invention, the automobile, and drove his 1903 model
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it pro ...
runabout nearly 200 miles on primitive roads from Medina to the Wright hometown,
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater D ...
, hoping to learn more about the flying experiments. On September 20, 1904, he saw Wilbur Wright fly the first complete circle in an airplane. He wrote an article about the achievement for his ''Gleanings'' periodical, but delayed publishing the story until the following January at the request of the Wrights. He apparently saw several other flights as well. His report and follow-ups he wrote were the only published eyewitness accounts of successful flights by the Wright brothers at
Huffman Prairie, a pasture outside Dayton where the brothers developed the first practical airplane. Root offered his reports to ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...
'' magazine, but received no reply. His writing suggested the Wrights' invention would cause profound changes:
Helen Keller friendship
Root became interested in advances in educating blind and deaf children and contributed to that effort. In response he received a four-page letter from
Helen Keller thanking him for his kindness and support. He remained friends with her for the rest of his life.
Root Candles
References
External links
Complete scan of "The ABC of bee culture" 1879 edition by A.I. Root
Famous Wright Airplane Flights
{{DEFAULTSORT:Root, Amos
1839 births
1923 deaths
American beekeepers
Wright brothers
People from Medina, Ohio
Businesspeople from Ohio