John James McIlhenny

John's widowed mother immigrated to America just before the famine. John married an Irish immigrant from Armagh. They settled in Columbus, Ga., where John became mayor.

Moving later to Philadelphia , John patented his invention - the gas meter - and made the family fortune.

http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US542024

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=91395191

home in Georgia:

http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkers/MarkerDetail.cfm?KeyID=10...

"John McIlhenny, Civil Engineer, City Council member, and Mayor of Columbus 1873-1874, lived in this house in the 1860´s. Mr. McIlhenny is recognized as the father of the Columbus public school system. Authorized by the Georgia Legislature in December 1866, Columbus´ was the first city-supported school system in the state. Mr. McIlhenny was noted for his invention of the McIlhenny Gas Meter. In 1877, he moved to Philadelphia where his grandson, Henry P. McIlhenny, became a world renowned art collector. In 1983 the Historic Columbus Foundation moved the house from 944 2nd Ave., to this location because it was threatened by demolition.

Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Historic Columbus Foundation, 1985 "

https://www.philamuseum.org/pma_archives/ead.php?c=HPM&p=hn