In 1800, Charles Goodyear, the American who developed the art of vulcanizing rubber, used in the production of car tires, was born.

CNN: Monday,

Other inventors, like Charles Goodyear , were easy prey for crooks.

FORBES: Pioneers Die Broke

Many people who grew up in Waterbury before 1970 remember school trips to the Mattatuck Museum to see the 10, 000-piece button display, Charles Goodyear's rubber desk and colonial era tools and clothing.

NPR: Hidden Museum Treasures: Fortune's Bones