George Washington Murray (1853 – 1926) – Furrow opener
George Washington Murray’s inventions were all born from his experience as a farmer and his determination to make labor less arduous. Having been born into slavery, Murray grew up on a Rembert cotton plantation until the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. His first three patents – a furrow opener, a marker, and a stalk-knocker-cultivator – were granted in April 1984. Two months later, the U.S. Patent Office awarded him four more patents, including for cotton chopper and fertilizer distributor devices. Murray was also distantly related to Jim Clyburn, a U.S. House of Representatives member from South Carolina.