James Slough Zerbe (September 18, 1849 – February 8, 1921) was an American inventor, early aircraft builder, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, and author. He designed planes with multiple wings, including the Zerbe Sextuplane and the Zerbe Air Sedan. Zerbe wrote a series of instructional books for boys on subjects like carpentry, automobiles, electricity, and "aeroplanes"; and also wrote an adventure and travel books. He lived in Ohio, New York City, and later California.
Early life and education
James Slough Zerbe was born on September 18, 1849, in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. He attended Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. In 1871, Zerbe married Elizabeth Bailey, of London.
Career
Zerbe was the president of the Inventors of America in 1884 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the manager of the American Patent Agency in 1887 in New York City.
Granville Woods, a mechanical and electrical engineer, who was African American, partnered with Zerbe on developing a simple electric railway. Zerbe joined a partnership with Granville Woods, his son Arthur Zerbe, Henry Keim (investor), and Calvin Bowen (investor and local preacher), and together they founded the American Engineering Company in New York City. James Zerbe served as the patent attorney and manager for the American Engineering Company. Woods accused Zerbe of theft of intellectual property of the designs; and Heim later accused Zerbe of illegal conversion of stocks. Litigation for both resulted in the 1890s. By 1893, Zerbe was a prisoner at the Ludlow Street Jail.
