Amos Root

Amos Ives Root (1839 – 1923) developed innovative beekeeping techniques in the United States during the mid-1800s, a period when the industry played an important role in the economy of many communities. He founded his own company, which continues in business to the present day. His wide-ranging interests and curiousity led him to become the only eyewitness to publish articles about successful airplane flights made by the Wright brothers in Ohio in 1904-1905.

Biography

He began his career as a jewelry manufacturer and took up beekeeping in his twenties as a hobby. Among his major contributions was a method to harvest honey without destroying the beehive. He became a nationally- and internationally-known expert and a wealthy businessman. He lived and worked in Medina, Ohio.

Always enthusiastic about technology, he took great interest in the newly-invented automobile, purchasing an Oldsmobile runabout in 1903. He held strong Christian beliefs, and wrote about his ideas and observations of contemporary society in his trade journal "Gleanings in Bee Culture".

When he read sketchy newspaper reports about the Wright Brothers in early 1904, he decided to visit them and learn more. He drove his car nearly 200 miles on primitive roads to Dayton. On September 20, he witnessed Wilbur Wright fly the first complete circle by a heavier-than-air flying machine. He apparently also saw several other flights. Greatly enthusiastic about aviation, he delayed publishing an account of the flights in his magazine until the following January at the request of the Wrights. That article and followups he wrote were the only published eyewitness reports of Wright brothers flights at Huffman Prairie, a pasture outside Dayton where the Wrights developed the first practical airplane. Root offered his reports to "Scientific American" magazine, but was declined. His writing suggested the invention would cause profound changes:

Cquote
...these brothers have probably not even a faint glimpse of what their discovery is going to bring to the children of men. No one living can give a guess of what is coming along this line, much better than any one living could conjecture the final outcome of Columbus’ experiment when he pushed off through the trackless waters. Possibly we may be able to fly over the North Pole....|20px| 20px|Amos Root|"Gleanings in Bee Culture", Jan. 1905 [ [http://www.wrightstories.com/flights.html#Gleanings%20in%20Bee%20Culture Famous Wright Airplane Flights] in WrightStories.com]

A. I. Root Company

The company was founded 1869 in Medina, Ohio as a manufacturer of beehives and beekeeping equipment. The company in its heyday shipped four railroad freight cars of beekeeping equipment a day. The company later installed printing presses and published the magazine "Beeculture" and the book "ABC of Bee Culture". The company still produces both but has retired its printing presses.

In 1928 the company began a transition into candle making after a local priest made a request for high quality liturgical candles. The production of beekeeping equipment was reduced and eventually phased out. During the late 90’s the company started selling beekeeping equipment produced by competitor Dadant and Sons, Inc. This venture was unsuccessful and was discontinued.

During Amos Root’s tenure a piano was installed and employee breaks were mandated. During the break hymns would be sung and employees were prohibited from visiting the nearby drogue house.

The original brick factories still exist and still produce candles. The drogue house is also standing and is now a restaurant.

The company, now known as Root Candles, is still owned by the Root family and is run by his great grandson.

References

External links

* [http://bees.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=bees;idno=5017633 Complete scan of "The ABC of bee culture" 1879 edition by A.I. Root]
* [http://www.rootcandles.com Root Candles]
* [http://www.wrightstories.com/archives.html WrightStories]