William Foster Nye

Place: Pocasset

Born: 1824

Death: 1910

Biography:

William Foster Nye was an American businessman and founder of a lubricating oil business in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was born in Pocasset, Massachusetts, in 1824, and died in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1910. Nye set up an oil and kerosene business in 1865, which he operated until the outbreak of the American Civil War. In 1865, he returned to New Bedford and set out to create lubricating oils for delicate machinery, such as watches, clocks, chronometers, and later, sewing machines, typewriters, bicycles, and electrical instruments. Nye's lubricating oils were made from the oil from the jaw and sperm whales, which were abundant in the waters off New Bedford. Nye's lubricating oils were a significant improvement over the existing lubricants, which were made from animal fats and were prone to gumming up and clogging delicate machinery. Nye's lubricating oils were a significant factor in the growth of the industrial revolution in the United States and were used in the machinery of many of the country's leading manufacturers. Nye's lubricating oils are still in use today and are known as Nye Lubricants.