Joseph F. Glidden is known widely for his invention of barbed wire that helped shape the American West.

The Glidden Homestead, 921 W. Lincoln Highway, is the birthplace of barbed wire, which Glidden created in the barn that still stands today, and is the site of one of DeKalb’s most historic achievements.

Glidden, originally from Clarendon, N.Y., moved to DeKalb in 1843 as a farmer. He built the Glidden Homestead in 1871, where two years later he invented barbed wire.

Prior to his revolutionary invention, there was no easy or economical way to pen livestock.

Glidden got the idea when he went to a county fair and saw wooden fencing with sharp nails coming out of it. Glidden first used a modified coffee grinder to manufacture the barbs in his small barn, located just off Lincoln Highway today.

Glidden received the patent for his product Nov. 24, 1874, which used a new way to hold the barbs in place. His patent led to over 570 other patents for barbed wire and a dramatic legal battle. When the legal battles concluded, Glidden prevailed and forever became known as the Father of Barbed Wire, which helped him become one of the wealthiest men in America.

His invention also helped DeKalb become the manufacturing center of the world for barbed wire, and brought prosperity to the city that can still be seen today.

For his contributions to the city, Glidden became known as “the grand old man of DeKalb County.”

He also helped in the creation of Northern Illinois University by donating 63 acres of farmland to the Northern Illinois State Normal School. Glidden was married twice, after he lost his first wife and two children in an epidemic. He remarried at age 38 to Lucinda Warne and shortly thereafter became the sheriff of DeKalb County.

In 1874, Glidden sold half of his business to Isaac Ellwood and together, they erected a factory in downtown DeKalb to manufacture their product. Two years later, after making a large fortune, Joseph sold his patent to Washburn & Moen Manufacturing for $60,000. Glidden went on to seek out several business ventures on his own. He owned a 250,000-acre ranch in Texas, but did not like to travel and never made a trip to the West he helped form. He also owned a hotel, a bank and a newspaper. He received various honors for his generosity to the community and died in the town he helped create in 1906.

The homestead, as it stands today, is set to be restored by the The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center, which is made up of Glidden ancestors, as well as various people throughout the community. The closest living ancestor to Glidden is Jessie Glidden, great-uncle of Joseph Glidden and DeKalb resident. The foundation previously received grants from the state of Illinois and recently received a grant from the Illinois Historical Preservation Society, which will work in conjunction with the local organization. The group also holds events throughout the year to raise money for the restoration project.

“We decided to apply for grants for the restoration and preservation and create programs to benefit the homestead,” said LInda Schwarz, president of the Board of Directors of the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center.

Many renovations to the homestead are planned. The house will to be turned into a visitor’s center and offices, the barn will house various exhibits and the windmill that originally powered the site will be reconstructed on its original foundation.

“We want to accomplish restoration and renovations in the manner of the 19th Century,” Schwarz said. “We decide what preservation and reservation should be carried out with consultation from the Illinois Historical Preservation Society and Mr. Keys, a restoration consultant.”

The group plans a first phase for restoring and stabilizing the house’s condition and then will look to further renovations. One day they hope to restore it to it’s glory of yesteryear.