John Wilkenson Tells His Obsession with Iron and Making if Stronger, Cheaper, and More Useful

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My name is John Wilkinson, though in my day, they often called me the “Iron Mad Wilkinson.” I suppose I earned that nickname honestly. I was born in 1728 in England, and from a young age, I was fascinated with iron—its strength, its usefulness, and its potential to reshape the world. While others saw raw ore, I saw opportunity.

My father was an ironworker, so I grew up around furnaces and forges. But I didn’t just follow in his footsteps—I ran past them. I wanted to make iron better, cheaper, and stronger, and I spent my life finding ways to do just that. One of my proudest achievements was developing a way to drill perfectly straight holes in iron cylinders. That might not sound impressive at first, but it changed everything. My invention helped James Watt perfect his steam engine, because without my boring machine, his pistons would never have fit snugly enough to hold steam. That meant factories could run, mines could pump water, and ships could travel farther.

I also built the world’s first iron bridge, crossing the River Severn in 1779. People said it couldn’t be done, that only stone or wood could hold that kind of weight. But I believed in iron. That bridge still stands today, a testament to how strong a dream—and a little molten metal—can be.

Some say I was obsessed. Maybe I was. I wore iron buttons, drank from iron cups, and even insisted on being buried in an iron coffin. But look around at the modern world—the skyscrapers, the machinery, the engines—and you’ll see my obsession wasn’t foolish. It was foundational.

So, to those of you who love to tinker, to dream, and to make things better: don’t be afraid to be a little “mad” about it. The world needs that kind of madness—the kind that builds bridges, powers factories, and pushes history forward.

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