Linus Yale Jr.

(1821 - 1868)

Born in the Adirondacks, the inventor Linus Yale Jr. thought of pursuing a career as a painter but ended up working in his father’s lock shop, where he patented the modern pin-tumbler lock. He designed an assortment of other locks, many of which are still used today. He died of a heart attack at the age of forty-seven in New York City, during a trip to convince skyscraper builders to install his locks.