Devil’s Rope Museum

Several patents for fencing wire were issuedfrom 1853 to 1867, only one had projecting points.  The first practical "barbed wire" invention came from Michael Kelly of New York in 1868.  His design allowed factory manufacture.  Barbed wire as we know it today, came from the mind of Joseph F. Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois in 1874.  He improvised with various modifications until he came up with a design that would withstand years of court litigation earning him the title of "The Father of Barbed Wire. Today, more than 450 patents exist for barbed wire and more than 2,000 types and variations of barbed wire have been found by collectors.  Also coveted are historical documents, photos, wire tools, advertisements, catalogs, patent models, wire medicine samples and memorabilia.