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Luther Childs Crowell

It's All In The Bag!

If asked to name the top three inventors of the 19th century, Thomas Edison, the creator of the incandescent light bulb and Eli Whitney, the father of the cotton gin, might easily come to mind. However, the identity of the third top inventor listed in the United States Patent Office Hall of Fame might elude you. The answer though, is right in our back yard.

Luther Childs Crowell was born in 1840 in West Dennis and later became a long-time resident of our Oyster Town, Wellfleet. Like most young men of the time, Luther went to sea during his youth, probably serving on one of the many Clipper ships that called the Shiverick Yard in Dennis homeport.

Luther, though, was not drawn to the sea. Just before receiving command of a ship, he came ashore to find his fortune. Because Luther preferred a rather solitary existence and appeared fond of "tinkering," that most townfolk found him odd; others believed he was insane.

One of Luther's eccentricities involved paper. Folks noticed that he was never without a piece and that he spent what seemed like hours mindlessly folding it then unfolding it into one strange shape then another.

However, Luther's eccentricities and tinkering were eventually forgotten. In 1873, he patented the first "square-bottom" paper bag still heralded today. Four years later, his invention went into full production and Luther's bags became the industry's standard.

During his lifetime, Luther held 280 registered patents. The "double supplement printing press" and a bottle-labeling machine were among his many successful inventions. Records also show early studies with helicopters and internal combustion engines.