Mary Elizabeth Anderson was born in Alabama at the start of Reconstruction after the Civil War, she moved to Fresno, California in her 20s. She was a real estate developer, rancher, and viticulturist (someone who cultivates and harvests grapes). She visited New York City one winter and took a ride in a trolley car. Sleet fell from the sky, forcing the driver to reach through his window to wipe the windshield of the snow, rain, and ice that decreased visibility. Sometimes he stuck his head outside just to see. This common practice made drivers wet, cold, and miserable, and the passengers suffered from the cold every time the window was opened. Innovative and observant, Mary thought of a way for the driver and passengers to stay warm and dry during inclement weather. Solving a Problem with Innovation: When she got back to Alabama, she devised a device that attached outside the vehicle and had a long, spring-loaded arm and a rubber blade. The driver of the trolley turned a handle to wi