The Ingenious Hjortur Thordarson # 88448
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The ingenious Hjörtur Þórðarson, an electrical engineer in Chicago. Biography. Compiled by Steingrímur Jónsson.
Chester H. Thordarson (1867 – 1945) was a West Icelandic electrical engineer and inventor. He received many patents in his time, such as for ignition coils used in cars. He ran a voltage factory in Chicago until the depression of 1930, which employed 1500 – 1800 workers. Hjortur had a magnificent summer house built for himself on Rock Island, Wisconsin, USA. It is now owned by the Wisconsin DNR, which purchased the house from Hjortur's heirs in 1965.
Hjortur moved to the United States in 1873 (at the age of 6) and in 1895 founded a factory that manufactured transformers. He worked for a long time in electrical distribution systems, made many inventions in that field and had patents on transformers for electrical distribution systems. He made the first 500 thousand volt transformer and the first million volt transformer, both of which were used in exhibitions. He worked with Edison, Tesla, and Ford to name a few. He improved inventions and he himself invented the first ignition coil that worked in cars. Hjortur's factory produced many of these ignition coils in Ford cars. He had at least 200 patents for various types of equipment for making and manufacturing electrical transformers and coils as well as patents on the transformers and coils themselves, all of which were his own inventions.
Hjörtur and his wife Júlíana made a good living from the tension factory and a large sewing shop that Júlíana ran. The business prospered until the Depression of the 1930s. Creditors took over the business, but Hjörtur kept his library and enough money to support himself and his family.
Hjörtur had a magnificent library. The University of Wisconsin inherited the library, which has been estimated to be worth 1.6 billion Icelandic krónur in 2018 values.
Chester H. Thordarson (1867 – 1945) was a West Icelandic electrical engineer and inventor. He received many patents in his time, such as for ignition coils used in cars. He ran a voltage factory in Chicago until the depression of 1930, which employed 1500 – 1800 workers. Hjortur had a magnificent summer house built for himself on Rock Island, Wisconsin, USA. It is now owned by the Wisconsin DNR, which purchased the house from Hjortur's heirs in 1965.
Hjortur moved to the United States in 1873 (at the age of 6) and in 1895 founded a factory that manufactured transformers. He worked for a long time in electrical distribution systems, made many inventions in that field and had patents on transformers for electrical distribution systems. He made the first 500 thousand volt transformer and the first million volt transformer, both of which were used in exhibitions. He worked with Edison, Tesla, and Ford to name a few. He improved inventions and he himself invented the first ignition coil that worked in cars. Hjortur's factory produced many of these ignition coils in Ford cars. He had at least 200 patents for various types of equipment for making and manufacturing electrical transformers and coils as well as patents on the transformers and coils themselves, all of which were his own inventions.
Hjörtur and his wife Júlíana made a good living from the tension factory and a large sewing shop that Júlíana ran. The business prospered until the Depression of the 1930s. Creditors took over the business, but Hjörtur kept his library and enough money to support himself and his family.
Hjörtur had a magnificent library. The University of Wisconsin inherited the library, which has been estimated to be worth 1.6 billion Icelandic krónur in 2018 values.