Our National Park System is rich in history, not just natural resources. One such example is the statute that recalls a man who had perhaps one of the most significant impacts any one individual could bring to bear on the whaling industry of the early 19th century.
At the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park on the Massachusetts coast stands a statute in honor of Lewis Temple, an inventor who lived from 1800-1854. His significance? He invented the "toggle iron."