Joseph Lee (inventor) facts for kids

Joseph Lee (born July 4, 1848, died June 11, 1908) was an amazing American baker and inventor. He ran a hotel in Needham, Massachusetts for about ten years. Later, he managed restaurants near Boston, ran a fun resort, and had a very successful catering business. Joseph Lee was also a clever inventor. He created machines that made baking bread much easier, like a machine for kneading dough and another for making breadcrumbs. Because of his great ideas and successes, he was honored in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Life of Joseph Lee

Joseph Lee was born on July 4, 1848, in Charleston, South Carolina. He grew up in South Carolina and started baking when he was a child, working in a bakery in Beaufort, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, he worked as a blacksmith for a while.

Joseph Lee improved his cooking skills and knowledge while working for the United States Coastal Survey. He worked there for eleven years. On May 12, 1875, he married Christina Howard, and they had four children together.

Moving to Massachusetts

After leaving the Coastal Survey, Joseph Lee moved to Needham, Massachusetts. There, he opened a restaurant. Over time, he developed the Woodland Park Hotel. He first leased the hotel in 1882 and then bought it the next year.

Joseph Lee's Amazing Inventions

Joseph Lee wanted to make baking bread easier and more consistent. He thought about how to use machines instead of kneading dough by hand. Kneading by hand takes a lot of time and effort.

The Bread Kneader

He invented a special machine that could knead bread dough. This machine was much faster and more efficient than kneading by hand. He received a patent for his bread kneader on August 7, 1894.

The Breadcrumb Machine

The next year, on June 4, 1895, Joseph Lee received another patent. This one was for a machine that made breadcrumbs! He got the idea for this invention when his bread-making machine started making too much bread. The Royal Worcester Bread Crumb Company used Lee's invention to make breadcrumbs for many restaurants.

A Successful Businessman

By 1886, Joseph Lee was a wealthy person living in Newton. His Woodland Park Hotel was very well-known. Important people, including presidents like Benjamin Harrison, Chester A. Arthur, and Grover Cleveland, stayed there.

Joseph Lee became a respected member of society in Massachusetts. He served on several hotel groups and attended many social events in Boston. He also cared about civil rights and attended the 1890 Convention of Colored Men.

Spreading His Inventions

Joseph Lee's breadcrumb machine became very popular. The National Inventors Hall of Fame says that within five years of its invention, it was used by many of America's best hotels and catering businesses.

Even though he lost ownership of the Woodland Park Hotel in 1896, Joseph Lee quickly started managing the Pavilion Restaurant near Norumbega Park. The next year, his family moved to Boston. He also ran a successful catering company and the Trinity Court Cafe in Boston. Joseph Lee also managed a resort in Squantum, which many Massachusetts politicians visited.

The family moved again in 1900 to the South End of Boston. Joseph Lee kept working on his inventions. He patented a second version of his bread kneader in 1902. That year, he was in charge of the Lee Catering Company in Boston.

Eventually, the National Bread Company owned the rights to his bread kneader. The Goodell Company owned the rights to his breadcrumb machine. Joseph Lee became sick and passed away on June 11, 1908, at his home.

Legacy

In 2019, Joseph Lee was honored for his amazing inventions. He was inducted into the American National Inventors Hall of Fame.