Lewis Temple
Blacksmith
Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1800, Lewis Temple established himself as a blacksmith on the New Bedford waterfront by 1836.
Temple manufactured his first toggle-iron in 1848. Its fastening power revolutionized the catching of whales. The invention was never patented, therefore the only royalty was the name that clung to it.
He died in New Bedford in 1854. Millions were made in the whaling industry because of Temple’s toggles. After business debts were cleared, there was no legacy left for his family.
Marker is on Pleasant Street, on the left when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
