Charles Dinsmoor

Charles Dinsmoor (September 19, 1834 – April 11, 1904) was an American inventor and lawyer.

Dinsmoor's ancestors came from Ireland, however are from Scottish descent. Dinsmoor was born at Alabama Center in Alabama, New York on September 19, 1834. Dinsmoor's family genealogy can be traced back to the first person in his family history to arrive in America, John Dinsmoor. John came to America in 1719 from Londonderry, Ireland and is the fifth generation ancestor to the subject of this sketch. He originally settled in Windham, New Hampshire.

Among the ancestors of Dinsmoor are Samuel Dinsmoor, who was a governor of New Hampshire and a member of Congress in 1811 and 1812, was a son of John Dinsmoor. Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr. was also a governor of New Hampshire. Robert Dinsmoor, brother to Samuel Dinsmoor Sr., was a well known Scottish poet of New England that called himself the "Rustic Bard." William B. Dinsmoor was the president of the Adams Express Company. Colonel Silas Dinsmoor was famous as an Indian agent. A son of Samuel Jr. was George (born 1794 in Keene, New Hampshire), the father of this sketch.

Dinsmoor received a minimal education in the local common schools of Elk township in Warren County, Pennsylvania when he was growing up. Much of his time was spent helping support the large family living in meager circumstances. At sixteen Dinsmoor left home and became a successful student at the academies at Warren, Smethport, and Coudersport, Pennsylvania. He was also a student at Randolph, New York. Dinsmoor was in the printing business for about eleven years in the same cities. The printing was associated with teaching and attending school. During the last three of this time he was editor of the "Warren Ledger" at Warren, Pennsylvania.

When Dinsmoor was twenty-two he attended Randolph Academy for a year. Here studied law for six months at the offices of Weeden & Henderson. Dinsmoor then continued his law studies under B. W. Lacy in 1858. He was admitted to the bar of Warren County, Pennsylvania September 18, 1859.

Dinsmoor was appointed assistant United States marshal in 1860. One of Dinsmoor’s duties was taking the 1860 census for the northern half of Warren county. Dinsmoor was elected justice of the peace for Warren County in 1861 and was successively reelected for fifteen years. He also practiced law during time. In 1876 he voluntarily retired from the office.

Dinsmoor has been elected to many positions in government, from being a town clerk to a chief burgess. In 1878 he was elected to the office of school director and held that position for many years. Dinsmoor contributed much to bring about high quality standards for the schools of Warren. He was for several years the treasurer of Struthers Library Association and a member of its Board of Control.

Dinsmoor was a lawyer in the Supreme Court of the state of Pennsylvania and the United States Circuit and District Courts. Dinsmoor has been associated with the order of Odd Fellows from 1868 for many years and was grand master of Warren Lodge No. 339.

Dinsmoor practiced law without a partner for many years. Later he became associated with James Cable and formed the partnership Dinsmoor & Cable. Later when Cable died the firm's name changed to Dinsmoor & Peterson. After Peterson died Dinsmoor conducted business by himself for several years until his health failed. The last five years of his life he had failing health until he died April 11, 1904.

History records that Dinsmoor invented the endless chain tractor in 1886, a forerunner of the continuous track vehicle. He received patent No. 351,749 on November 2, 1886. "Dinsmoor's vehicle" was first manufactured commercially by Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, California in 1906.

Dinsmoor Glacier of Antarctica is named after the subject of this article.