Thaddeus Fairbanks | |
|---|---|
 Fairbanks, circa 1880 | |
| Born | January 16, 1796 |
| Died | April 12, 1886 (aged 90) |
| Resting place | Mount Pleasant Cemetery, St. Johnsbury, Vermont |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor Businessman |
| Employer | E. & T. Fairbanks |
| Known for | Inventor of the Fairbanks scale |
| Spouse | Lucy Peck Barker (m. 1820–1866, her death) |
| Children | 2 (including Charlotte Fairbanks) |
| Relatives | Erastus Fairbanks (brother) Ephraim Paddock (uncle) Horace Fairbanks (nephew) Franklin Fairbanks (nephew) |
Thaddeus Fairbanks (January 17, 1796 – April 12, 1886) was an American businessman, mechanic, and engineer. He invented furnaces, cooking stoves, cast iron steel plows, and other metal items related to farming. He invented and manufactured the first platform scale, the Fairbanks scale, that allowed the accurate weighing of large objects. His scales revolutionized farming and manufacturing and were sold worldwide, and he received numerous honors and awards for his development of the technology. Fairbanks was also a philanthropist, and was a co-founder of the St. Johnsbury Academy.