Innovative Abe

As president of the United States, on this day in 1983, Ronald Reagan proclaimed February 11, as National Inventor’s Day. A tribute to the inspiring ingenuity that makes the rest of us say, “Why didn’t I think of that!” 

Did you know Abraham Lincoln is the only president to ever hold a patent?  

As a result of his experience having boats run aground while navigating rivers, in 1849, the enterprising Abe invented a flotation system for lifting riverboats stuck on sandbars and other debris.  

Though the invention was never manufactured, a model of the idea resides in storage at the Smithsonian Institution.  

Check out Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial Visitor Center to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, the life he led, and the lives he changed.