The corner of Stillwell and Mermaid avenues is now Granville T. Woods Way in memory of the Ohio-born inventor and brainchild behind more than a dozen devices to improve electric railway cars and many more to control the flow of electricity.
Displaying the sign before its installation are students from Public School 335-The Granville T. Woods School in Crown Heights; Councilmember Domenic Recchia (center rear); Howard H. Roberts, Jr., president of MTA/NYC-Transit (third from right) and David L. Head, the train motorman behind the move to co-name the intersection (right).
One of his most important discoveries, which continues to be used to this day, was a telegraph that allowed moving trains to communicate with other trains and train stations.
Wood’s inventions were purchased by, among others, American Bell Telephone, General Electric and Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
