▁Joseph ▁Whit worth . ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁machine ▁tool ▁firm ▁of ▁William ▁S ellers ▁& ▁Co ., ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁influ ential ▁machine ▁tool ▁builder ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Family ▁S ellers ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Upper ▁Dar by , ▁Pennsylvania ▁to ▁John ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁( Po ole ) ▁S ellers , ▁into ▁a ▁Qu aker ▁family ▁full ▁of ▁industrial ▁and ▁manufact uring ▁innov ators . ▁ ▁His ▁c ous ins ▁include ▁George ▁Es col ▁S ellers ▁( 1 8 0 8 – 1 8 9 9 ), ▁an ▁invent or ▁holding ▁pat ents ▁for ▁a ▁hill - cl im bing ▁locomot ive , ▁a ▁pul p - paper ▁process , ▁converting ▁steam bo ats ▁to ▁coal , ▁and ▁removing ▁br ine ▁from ▁salt ▁water , ▁and ▁Cole man ▁S ellers ▁II ▁( 1 8 2 7 – 1 9 0 7 ), ▁a ▁five - term ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Franklin ▁Institute , ▁who ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁har ness ing ▁Ni ag ara ▁F alls ▁for ▁electric ity . ▁ ▁S ellers ▁was ▁married ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁to ▁Mary ▁Ferr is ▁( 1 8 2 0 – 1 8 7 0 ), ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁three ▁children , ▁K atherine ▁( 1 8 5 2 – 1 9 1 7 ), ▁William ▁( 1 8 5 6 – 1 9 3 3 ), ▁and ▁Frances ▁( 1 8 5 8 – 1 8 5