He stands as a remarkable example of resilience and ingenuity in the aftermath of the American Civil War. After losing both arms, Decker refused to surrender his independence. Instead, he designed and built his own mechanical prosthetic arms--an extraordinary achievement in an era when prosthetic technology was still primitive and largely uncomfortable.
His custom-built devices featured metal components, adjustable joints, and gripping mechanisms that allowed him to perform daily tasks with surprising functionality. At a time when many amputees depended heavily on caregivers, Decker's invention symbolized self-reliance and innovation born from necessity. His story highlights how wounded veterans often became pioneers in early assistive technology, pushing forward advancements that would benefit future generations of amputees.
The Civil War created an unprecedented demand for prosthetic limbs, as it resulted in roughly 60,000 amputations among soldiers. This tragic scale accelerated both medical research and mechanical design, leading to significant improvements in artificial limb technology during the late 19th Century.
After the Civil War, prosthetic limb patents in the United States surged dramatically. Before 1861, only a handful existed. By 1870, dozens of new mechanical limb designs had been patented as inventors raced to improve mobility and comfort for veterans.
