Otis Marks 170 Years Since First Elevator Sale

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont proclaimed September 20 Otis Elevator Day in recognition of the Farmington, Connecticut-headquartered company announcing the date marks 170 years since its first sale. The sale of three elevators in 1853 came after company founder Elisha Graves Otis cut a rope that should have sent him on a freefall from a platform at the World’s Fair in New York. Saved by the Otis safety brake invented a year earlier, the demonstration marked a milestone for the company and would usher in both the elevator industry and skyscrapers to enable the growth of cities. Otis Archivist Steve Showers observed Elisha Graves Otis passed away after only approximately eight years of running the company. His sons, Charles and Norton, then took over and guided Otis through the turn of the century and beyond. In announcing the anniversary, Otis provided a nicely illustrated timeline of various milestones in its history.