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[The Straight Story]

AT A GLANCE:
Police Officer William L. Potts of Detroit, Michigan, decided to do something about the problem caused by the ever increasing number of automobiles on the streets. What he had in mind was figuring out a way to adapt railroad signals for street use. Potts used red, amber, and green railroad lights and about thirty-seven dollars worth of wire and electrical controls to make the world’s first 4-way three color traffic light. It was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. Within a year, Detroit had installed a total of fifteen of the new automatic lights.
THE STORY
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Invention: Traffic Light
Potts Traffic Light photo courtesy The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village
Function: noun / trsffic signal / stoplight
Definition: A road signal for directing vehicular traffic by means of colored lights, typically red for stop, green for go, and yellow for proceed with caution.
Patent: As a government emplyee Potts could not patent his invention.
Inventor: William L. Potts
William Potts photo courtesy Mr. Trafficlight
Criteria: First practical. Modern prototype.
Birth: Unknown
Death: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown

Milestones:
1918 U.S.Patent # 1,251,666 issued January 1, to J.B. Hoge of Cleveland, OH
1919 U.S.Patent # 1,307,544 issued June 24, to Oscar A. Erdmann of Detroit, MI
1920 William Potts invents and installs a three color, four direction taffic light in Detroit, MI
1923 U.S.Patent # 1,475,024 issued November 20, 1923 to Garrett Morgan for traffic signal
ARYs: traffic light, traffic signal, stop light, William Potts, Garrett Morgan, J Hoge, Oscar Erdmann, history, invention, stroy, facts, biography, inventor.

At about the same time, Garrett Morgan of Cleveland, Ohio realized the need to control the flow of traffic. A gifted inventor and reportedly the first African American to own an automobile in Cleveland, Ohio, he invented the electric automatic traffic light. Though it looked more like the semaphore signals you see at train crossings today.


http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/trafficlight.htm