Granville Tailer Woods was born on April 23, 1856, in Columbus, Ohio, to a working-class family. Little is known about his early schooling, although it’s believed he left formal education around age 10 to help support his family.
Fascinated by mechanics and electricity, he apprenticed in machine shops, where he learned the fundamentals of metalwork, rail systems, and electrical engineering. By the time he reached adulthood, Woods had transformed himself into a capable technician and innovator in various transportation fields.
