Amanda Neal, daughter of Skip and Betty Daniels, researched our cemetery as part of obtaining her masters degree. Below is her findings and it is very complete. Thank you so much Amanda.
Please let me know if you have trouble opening the file.
Please let me know if you have trouble opening the file.
| st_pauls_cemetery_info.docx |
George Diven, 1782 – 1858 and Christina Diven, 1781 – 1854. George Diven, a farmer and wagoner who lived in what is now Fulton County, was the earliest inventor of the friction brake for Conestoga wagons, a brake whose essential design principles have influenced friction type brakes ever since. Some 80 years after his death, representatives of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, the Amerikan Brake, Shoe and Foundry Company, and Mack Truck Company laid a wreath upon his grave recognizing George Diven as the earliest inventor of the friction brake shoe system. Conestoga wagons varied in length from 14 to 20 feet. These early freight haulers weighed close to 2000 pounds and were capable of hauling up to 5 tons of cargo. These heavy wagons had a difficult and dangerous time attempting to descend steep grades like the mountains leading into the Great Cove Valley. Wagoners often resorted to chaining logs to the back of the wagons to slow their descent. By inventing a rectangular brake shoe made of wood and iron, and a brake lever to apply the brake shoe to the large back wheel, Diven was able to control the speeds of wagons and bring them to a safe stop.
(Thank you to Loy Garber for this information)