Albert Cameron Hunt (3 April 1857 – 2 October 1915) was an American electrician who invented the wigwag, a grade crossing signal used in

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

ation. Hunt, a

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

from

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, invented the wigwag in the early 1900s because of the need for a safer

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

grade crossing. Hunt was associated with the Pacific Electric interurban streetcar railroad. Hunt was born in

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...

, the son of Alexander Cameron Hunt, governor of the Territory of Colorado from 1867–69, and Ellen Kellogg. He died of neurosyphilis in 1915.''California, U.S., Death Index, 1905–1939''

References

1858 births 1915 deaths 20th-century American inventors American people in rail transportation American mechanical engineers People from Freeport, Illinois American electricians {{US-rail-bio-stub