James C. Potter (1 May 1855 – 30 October 1925) was an American engineer, inventor, businessman and civic leader in

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls ...

. A native of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, he was schooled at the Mechanics' Institutes in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and was also a member of the 5th Battalion of the Royal Rifles. Potter came to the United States in 1874 and later became a citizen on 31 October 1892. Potter, also known as J.C. Potter, thrived in Pawtucket, helping to found two successful companies. In 1887 he started the Potter and Atherton Machine Company in Pawtucket. In 1893 he organized and was later President of the Howard & Bullough American Machine Company., also in Pawtucket, which went on to employ up to 1000 people. Also a successful inventor, Potter was granted several patents, including a Stripping Mechanism for Carding-Machines (filed 27 Feb 1885), the Turret Lathe (filed 27 March 1905) and the Automatic Turret Lathe (filed 11 Mar 1919). In 1879 he was married in Baltimore, Md., to Charlotte Holland and had six children: Wallace and Clara born in Lowell, and Charlotte, Elizabeth, James and Mary born in Pawtucket. In 1917, Potter served as the chairman of the Pawtucket Park Commission.Johnson, Elizabeth Jackson, Wheaton, James Lucas , and Reed, Susan Leach , (1996) ''Pawtucket'', p 91. Numerous buildings in Pawtucket are named after Potter, including the Potter-Burns Elementary School (formerly J.C. Potter Elementary), and the Potter Casino building in

Slater Park Slater Park is the oldest and largest public park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The park is named after Samuel Slater, a famous American industrialist who constructed America's first water-powered textile mill in Pawtucket. The park lies on the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, James C. 1855 births 1925 deaths Engineers from Glasgow People from Pawtucket, Rhode Island American inventors American businesspeople King's Royal Rifle Corps soldiers