Henry Ford opened his first factory in the United States in 1903. With horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles sharing the streets, accidents were becoming more frequent. A horrific accident involving a horse-drawn carriage and an automobile was what prompted African-American inventor Garret Morgan (1877-1963) to design a traffic control system. It was indicative of Morgan's acumen: long before automobiles became prevalent on the streets, he was able to see the problem and create a solution. The success of his project can be measured by the fact that traffic signals still exist today. Morgan came from a humble background. He was the son of a former slave and his formal education was limited to the elementary level. But his natural talent for tinkering and inventing earned him a reputation as a good mechanic and job offers in the Cleveland, Ohio area. In addition to the traffic signal, Morgan also invented a gas mask, a zigzag device for sewing machines, and a comb to straighten hair. He also published in a newspaper for the black community called the Cleveland Call and ran for governor of the city of Cleveland. Morgan's traffic signal was a three-armed "T" structure with hand-operated "Stop" and "Go" signals that alternately stopped traffic in one or more directions, allowing pedestrians to cross the street safely - an invention that prevented accidents and saved lives. Morgan patented the invention in 1923 and eventually sold the rights to the General Electric Company for $40,000.