Have you ever heard of the saying, “That’s the Real McCoy,” Referring to something being the real deal, authentic or the original. It originates from a Scottish saying, “The real Mackay”. It somehow was misinterpret as “The Real McCoy” sometime after 1908. Many have heard it used when referring to Elijah McCoy, who invented and patented many products pertaining to the railroad and was one of the best at it. When he made something it worked. There is no documentation or birth certificate to corroborate the birthdates of Elijah McCoy. It is believed that he was born either in 1943 or 1944 on March 27th or May 2.
He was born to Mildred Goins and George McCoy. Both parents escaped from Kentucky to Canada due to Canada being owned by the British which abolished slavery in 1833. A rebellion took place in 1837, by Louis Riel. The British sent troops to squash the rebellion. George McCoy fought alongside the British and was handsomely rewarded for his service with over 160 acres of farmland. His father reaped the rewards of remaining loyal to her Majesty and was able to provide a good education for his son, Elijah. Elijah was able to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland under an apprenticeship for Mechanical engineering.
He found machinery fascinating and wanted to continue his studies in engineering. After the Civil War his parents moved back to the States. They resided in Ypsilanti, Michigan located in the state of Detroit. Elijah McCoy tried to find work in the engineering field, however this proved futile as the states were still very much prejudice and he ended up getting a job as a fireman. It was at the Michigan Central Railroad that he performed a very strenuous job. He had to constantly lubricate the moving parts of the locomotive and had to shovel coal into the firebox. This was extremely tedious and physically demanding.
Locomotives were heavy and relied on their moving parts which had to be continuously lubricated or the parts would wear or possibly seize. Axles would rotate within oil-filled chambers. When the Axle rotated it would carry oil to the bearings, these bearings would allow the axle to turn smoothly. Steam engines on the other hand utilized steam to push the oil away from the moving parts. Hence, one would have to stop the engine in order to oil it. McCoy figured that if he could get the pressure of the steam to pump the oil were it was needed then the engine could continuously run.
