| Le Grand St. John, a sensitive artist
and inventor, was inspired early in his life to record scenes
of the War of 1812 and the burning of Buffalo. His drawings record
some of the earliest scenes of Buffalo. Le Grand never married
and lived in a variety of places over his 62 years, including
homes his father built, hotels and the homes of his mother and
sisters. Privately educated in Buffalo at Peter Miles' school,
the only profession he ever listed for himself was "gentleman,"
yet he was industrious. He received a patent from New York State
in 1851 for a steam heater and, in 1858, received a U.S. patent
for an improved propeller for boats, just as the technology was
first developing.
To read the rest of Christopher
N. Brown and David F. Granville's story, see page 18 in the Spring
2005 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe
now! |
