Cranberry Township Historical Society

The Cranberry Township Historical Society invites you to hear about the life of George Westinghouse on Sunday February 15, 2009 at 2:00 pm in the Cranberry Township Municipal building’s Council Chambers. Ed Reis, a Westinghouse historian, will perform living history, dress in periodic garb, portraying George Westinghouse.

Westinghouse was an inventor, American entrepreneur and engineer and is impersonated through details of his life in the program titled "The Forgotten Genius". Westinghouse himself had over 360 patents. Westinghouse starts his business with the airbrake, which revolutionized the railroad industry making it more reliable and safe. The airbrake also allowed the railroads to run longer trains at higher speeds thereby increasing revenue and delivery times.

In the 19th century, railroad was transportation. Westinghouse came to Pittsburgh to make it his home as Pittsburgh in the late 1860’s was the center of industry. Westinghouse’s other great work was developing alternating current, which we still use today for power. Ironically, history repeats itself. As much he was a great inventor, Westinghouse as a businessman almost lost the company due to bank failures in 1891 and tight capital markets. The company at that time was expanding exponentially and he was found to be short on working capital. He struggled to find funds to keep his industrial empire running, thus almost losing the company.

Mr. Ed Reis was an employee of Westinghouse for 25 years. Ed is the Executive Director of the George Westinghouse Museum. He previously ran the George Westinghouse Museum in Wilmerding, also known as the Westinghouse Castle. The castle's collections merged with the Heinz History Center in November 2007.

Please come join us, go back in time and learn about one of America’s greatest inventors, entrepreneurs and corporate humanitarian bosses. The program is free to the public.