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Riblet, Royal

Last Name: Riblet
First Name: Royal
Dates:
1871 - 1960 (Life/Active Dates)
Biography/History: Atop a cliff overlooking the Spokane River lies the estate of Royal Riblet, bicycle-racing champion, inventor, and entrepreneur. Among his inventions were trams, movable scaffolds, tractor wheels, efficient-pattern sprinklers, and mechanical parking garages. For 18 years the only access to Riblet’s "Eagle's Nest" was to cross the river with a five-passenger tramway powered by automobile motor. An electric train delivered the mail, and the home boasted an electric heating system and refrigerator. The estate is now a National Historic Landmark and headquarters of Arbor Crest Winery. Riblet’s brother Byron started manufacturing aerial tramway parts in Nelson, British Columbia. By 1901 Royal had moved his family from South Dakota to supervise its blacksmith shop. After working together for over 30 years, the brothers went separate ways. Royal eventually concentrated on mechanical inventions, and Byron continued the Riblet Tramway Company. A boom in skiing in the 1940s-‘50s made chairlifts a major part of the Riblet business that continues today.
Related Participants:
Related Objects:
3734.1 (Model, Royal Riblet's Pigeon Hole Parking System Model, circa 1953)
3734.3 (Model, Traction Wheel Model, 1915)
3734.6 (Model, Ski-Tow-Ter by Airline Tramways Model)