Elijah McCoy was born May 2, 1844 in Colchester, Ontario. His parents, George and Mildred, were former slaves who escaped from Kentucky with help from the Underground Railroad.

His first invention, an automatic lubricating cup, was used in the steam cylinders of trains and other machinery. The lubricating cup spread oil evenly over a train’s engine while it moved. This allowed a train to run for long periods of time without stopping. That was a great use of time and money. Some people think this is where the saying “The Real Mccoy” came from.

Some of Elijah’s other inventions included the ironing board and the lawn sprinkler. During his lifetime, Elijah was awarded over 57 patents and became known as one of the great African American inventors of the 19th century.

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