Lester Allan Pelton (September 5, 1829 â€" March 14, 1908) was an
American inventor who contributed significantly to the development of
hydroelectricity and hydropower in the American Old West as well as
world-wide. In the late 1870s, he invented the Pelton water wheel, at
that time the most efficient design of the impulse water turbine.
Recognized as one of the fathers of hydroelectric power, he was
awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal during his lifetime and is an
inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.Lester A. Pelton was
born in a log-cabin in rural Vermilion Twp., Erie County, Ohio. His
grandfather, Captain Josiah Pelton, who lost most of his assets as a
sea-captain during the War-of-1812 era, shortly later brought his
family to Ohio. Lester's father was Allen Pelton, and his mother was
Fanny Cuddeback, from another local early pioneer family. As a
youngster, Lester worked on his family's farm and probably attended
the nearby "Cuddeback" grade-school.In 1850, young Pelton, along with
several other local males, emigrated from Ohio to participate in the
California gold rush. He was not successful as a gold-miner, but he
fished the Sacramento River and sold his catch locally; and he worked
in wood-milling and carpentry. In 1860, after the gold strikes in the
nearby Sierra Nevada he relocated to Camptonvilleâ€"near the Yuba
River and the California Mother Lode countryâ€"where he made his
living as a millwright and carpenter. Pelton spent much of his time
reading and observing mining activity; his work and studies gained him
critical knowledge of mining equipment and processes and related
engineering principles. Lester Allan Pelton Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter