George Washington Newton Yost

George Washington Newton Yost (April 15, 1831 – September 28, 1895) was an American entrepreneur and inventor who has been described as one of the pioneers in the birth of the first manufactured typewriters. He founded the Yost Writing Machine Company and began producing his typewriters around 1887 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Career

He started his career by working as a farmhand. He then invented the cotton plough and scraper which made him a lot of money. The Writing Machine Company was headquartered at 1087-1155 Railroad Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Other endeavours

He was also a dedicated spiritualist. He built, at his own cost, a church in Corry, Pennsylvania, and employed a clergyman who was well read in Christian doctrine. When Yost died on September 26, 1895 in New York City, it was reported that he "remained a firm spiritualist to the end".

Personal life

He was born on 15 April 1831 in Starkey, New York. He was the third child and second son of farmer John DeWitt Yost and his wife Patty Ann (nee Newton). He married Sophia Church Hayden at New Castle, Pennsylvania, on January 28, 1858.