Early Life
Josephine Garis Cochran (sometimes spelled Cochrane), had "machinery" in her blood. Born in 1839 to John and Irene Fitch Garis, her great-grandfather, John Fitch, was the inventor of the steam engine, and her father supervised saw and woolen mills. This would be part of her inspiration for her invention (Karwatka, 12).
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Later, Cochran moved to Illinois to live with her sister. There, she met and married William Cochran. He was elected county circuit clerk of their small community in Shelbyville, Illinois, in 1864. Sadly, though, he passed away in 1883, leaving Josephine Cochran in a lot of debt (Fenster, 57).
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