September 7, 1880

On This Date in TWISTED-HISTORY.com in 1880, George Ligowsky of Cincinnati was granted a patent for his device that threw clay pigeons for trapshooters. His original idea was one based upon a trebuchet and the illustration that was sent with his original patent showed the device throwing small piglets into the air as riflemen shot at them. When Mr. Ligowsky built his first prototype, it threw a live piglet 273 feet down Sycamore Street straight into a German butcher shop causing over 300 dollars in damages. Not only did Mr. Ligowsky’s prototype fail and illustrate to all the observers what a bad idea it was to throw live piglets into the air for people to shoot at them, it also was an excellent example of the laws of physics and how much damage a 35 pound pig can do when it comes back to the ground after being thrown by a catapult for over 250 feet. The German butcher also refuse to return Mr. Ligowsky’s now recently deceased piglet. Mr. Ligowsky then turned his attention to a lightweight substitute and the clay pigeon idea was born.

About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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