SEYMOUR — The story of Connecticut’s Charles Goodyear and his long quest to invent commercially useful rubber will be the focus of a Seymour Historical Society program on Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m.
Tires, garden hoses, shoe soles, industrial belts, pencil erasers and more. These days, we take rubber products for granted. But well into the 19th century, rubber was considered too unstable for most commercial uses because it decomposed easily and melted at high temperatures.
In this program, guest speaker John Cilio will describe how Charles Goodyear rose from a clerk in his father’s Naugatuck hardware store to become a self-taught chemist who eventually discovered the secret to stabilizing rubber – a process called vulcanization. Along the way, Goodyear dealt with poverty, failed experiments, and patent issues — but his eventual success would help launch the industrial revolution of the 1800s and transform Naugatuck into an important industrial center. Even today, the city’s main street is called Rubber Avenue.
The program is free for Seymour Historical Society members; a $5 donation is requested from other guests. The historical society is located at 59 West St., near the Trinity Episcopal Church. Doors open at 1 p.m. for those who wish to view the museum’s exhibits. For more information, call 203-888-7471, visit www.SeymourHistoricalSociety.org, or email President@SeymourHistoricalSociety.org.
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