11 Facts About Martha Coston

Martha Jane Coston was an American inventor and businesswoman who invented the Coston flare, a device for signaling at sea, and the owner of the Coston Manufacturing Company.

Martha Coston was born Martha Hunt in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Philadelphia in the 1830s.

Martha Coston experimented with color-coded night signals to allow communication between ships, which at that time was limited to visual signals such as flags during the day and lanterns at night.

For nearly ten years, Martha Coston worked to develop a system of flare signaling based on her husband's earlier work.

Martha Coston then obtained patents in England, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and sailed to England to begin marketing her invention there and in other parts of Europe.

Martha Coston remained in Europe until 1861, when she returned to the US on the outbreak of the Civil War.

Martha Coston went directly to Washington, where she petitioned Congress to purchase the patent so that the flares could be used in the approaching conflict.

Martha Coston flares were used extensively by the US Navy during the Civil War; they proved particularly effective in the discovery and capture of Confederate blockade runners during the Union blockade of southern ports.

In 1871, Martha Coston obtained a patent in her own name - Patent No 115,935, Improvement in Pyrotechnic Night Signals.

In 2006 Martha Coston was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Martha Coston was interred in Section D, Lot 62 in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.