Joseph Dixon | |
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| Born | (1799-01-01)January 1, 1799 Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1869(1869-06-15) (aged 70) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupations | Inventor, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of theDixon Ticonderoga Company |
| Notable work | Dixon Ticonderoga pencil |
Joseph Dixon (1 January 1799 – 15 June 1869) was aninventor,entrepreneur and the founder of what became theDixon Ticonderoga Company, a well-known manufacturer of pencils in theUnited States.
His fascination with new technologies led to many innovations such as a mirror for a camera that was the forerunner of theviewfinder, a patented double-cranksteam engine, and a method of printingbanknotes to thwartcounterfeiters. Most notably, Dixon manufactured the first wood and graphite pencil in the country.
Among his associates were such American inventors asRobert Fulton,Samuel Morse, andAlexander Graham Bell, and politician/business partnerOrestes Cleveland.
In 1827, Joseph Dixon began his business inSalem, Massachusetts and, with his son, was involved with theTantiusques graphite mine inSturbridge, Massachusetts. Dixon discovered the merits of graphite as a stove polish and anadditive in lubricants, foundry facings, brake linings, oil-less bearings, and non-corrosive paints.
He also refined the use of graphitecrucibles,refractory vessels used for melting metallic minerals. A heat-resistant graphite crucible he invented was widely used in the production of iron and steel during theMexican–American War. This invention's success led Dixon to build a new mill in what is now theVan Vorst Park neighborhood of historicDowntown Jersey City, New Jersey in 1847.[1][2] TheDixon Mills complex has subsequently become residences.[3]
During the 1860s, people typically wrote withquill pens and ink even though Dixon introduced graphite pencils in 1829. But theAmerican Civil War created a demand for a dry, clean, portable writing instrument and led to themass production of pencils. At the time of Dixon's death in 1869, the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company was the largest manufacturer of graphite products in the world. By 1870, The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company was the world's largest dealer and consumer of graphite. By 1872 the Dixon company was making 86,000 pencils a day.
The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company continued to prosper throughout the 20th century by growing through a series of mergers and acquisitions. In 1982, the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company merged with the Bryn Mawr Corporation, a Pennsylvania transportation and real estate company with operations dating back to 1795. Together, these companies formed theDixon Ticonderoga Company, named after Dixon and its oldest brand-name pencil.
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