Elijah Bond
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Elijah Jefferson Bond (January 23, 1847 – April 14, 1921) was an American
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
and
inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
. He is best known for patenting the ouija board.


Early life

Elijah Jefferson Bond was born on January 23, 1847, in Bel Air, Maryland, to Charlotte Howard (née Richardson) and William B. Bond. His father was a judge. Bond graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law.


Career

Bond served in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. He worked as a lawyer in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
until around 1918.


Inventions

Although he invented and patented items, including a steam boiler, he is best remembered for patenting what became known as the Ouija board. He filed for a
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
patent on May 28, 1890. Charles W. Kennard and William H. A. Maupin were listed as assignees. The patent was granted on February 3, 1891. Bond sold the US distribution rights for the Ouija board to the Kennard Novelty Company. The building where Bond chose the name for the board still stands in downtown Baltimore. Its first floor is now a 7-Eleven convenience store. A plaque commemorating Bond and the Ouija board is installed inside the store.


Swastika Novelty Company

By 1907 Bond had relocated to West Virginia where he established the Swastika Novelty Company. The company produced a knock-off of Bond's original Ouija board called the "Nirvana". The Swastika Novelty Company was a U.S. corporation that was incorporated in June 1, 1957, and dissolved on December 30, 2014. The company status was revoked after failure to file an annual report. The company's officers were Bond, E. T. Crawford and J. E. Crawford.


Personal life

Bond married Mary Peters of Baltimore. They had at least one son, William B. Bond. Bond died on April 14, 1921, at the home of his son at 3304 Clifton Avenue in Baltimore. He was buried in Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery. In 2007, his grave marker was replaced with a custom headstone resembling a Ouija board. File:Elijah_Jefferson_Bond_Gravestone_Front_Detail.jpg, Gravestone front detail File:Elijah_Jefferson_Bond_Gravestone_Rear_Detail.jpg, Gravestone rear detail File:Elijah_Jefferson_Bond_Gravestone_Rear_Three_Quarter.jpg, Gravestone rear three quarter


References


Bibliography

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Sources

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External links

1847 births 1921 deaths American occultists American inventors Burials at Green Mount Cemetery Lawyers from Baltimore People from Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland People of Maryland in the American Civil War University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni {{US-inventor-stub