Birdsill Holly

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Birdsill Holly (November 8, 1820 - 27 April 1894) was an inventor. Holly was born in Auburn, New York. He spent his early years in Seneca Falls, New York, a major center of water powered industries, and he began inventing, his first patented invention being a rotary water pump.

He left Seneca Falls in 1851 for Lockport, New York, where he established a booming business,Holly Manufacturing. Birdsill's factory employed over 500 men. It was one of the largest manufacturing plants in the Northeast at the time. He is known for inventing the fire hydrant, rotary pump, and district heating. Birdsill Holly had over a 150 patents when he died second only to Thomas Edison in the U.S. He was also a key person in the invention of the Sybill Steam Engine, which became the first non manpowered fire engine.