Elijah Bond's Official Biography

Elijah J. Bond
January 23rd 1847 - April 14th 1921

Elijah Jefferson Bond is best known for patenting the Ouija Board. He was born January 23rd 1846 in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland and was the fourth child of Judge William Bond and Charlotte Howard Richardson. His brother General Frank A. Bond would give birth to Harriet Virginia Bond, who would later marry Elijah's friend, William H. A. Maupin. William H. A. Maupin was one of the original founders of the Kennard Novelty Company, the first company to produce the Ouija board. Records show that Elijah J. Bond was a veteran of the Confederate Army as were two of his brothers Frank A. and Arthur W. Bond. He attended public schools in Anne Arundel County and then graduated the Law School of the University of Maryland in 1872. (After careful review of the 1872 class register, it was discovered that Harry Welles Rusk was listed as Elijah's classmate.)

Harry Welles Rusk was named the president of the Kennard Novelty Company which incorporated on October 30th 1890. The two would meet in law school and begin their historic friendship. Like many of the gentleman involved with the Ouija board, Elijah J. Bond joined the Masons on April 14th 1873. He was a Collector for Anne Arundel County from 1873-1877. Elijah also opened a practice in Baltimore where one of his clients would be accused of polygamy. This is described in detail in an article appearing on April 26th 1894 in the Hagerstown Herald and Torch Light newspaper.

Though not officially a member of the Kennard Novelty Company Elijah Bond would assign the first Ouija patent (No. 446,054) registered in 1891 to William H. A. Maupin and Charles W. Kennard. Further cementing his relationship with the company and its associates, Col. Washington Bowie and Elijah J. Bond were assigned two patents for water and steam boilers in 1892, No. 474,645 and No. 482,384.

Elijah Bond revisited the mysterious world of talking boards when he moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Charleston, West Virginia in the early 1900's. There he applied for and was granted a trademark on his Nirvana talking board on June 18th 1907. The mark is shaped in the sign of a swastika with the word Nirvana in the center. On June 20th 1907 Bond assigned this trademark to The Swastika Novelty Company who manufactured and sold the Nirvana talking boards. While living in Charleston he worked as both an attorney and an insurance agent.

Elijah Bond married Mary Peters of Maryland and had one child, William Brown Bond. Elijah later returned to Baltimore and suffered a "stroke of paralysis" in 1919. He died on April 14th 1921. Though his family and specifically his niece Harriet Virginia, William H. A. Maupin's wife, were buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in Dorsey, Maryland, Elijah was not. He was laid to rest at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland along with his wife, her family, his son, and grandchild.

A Grave Situation...
We are spearheading a project to honor a man lost in the pages of forgotten history, Elijah Bond. Nearly 90 years after his death, we received permission from his descendants and Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore to erect a gravestone to Elijah Bond, patentee of the Ouija board. A proper headstone will cost around $2,000. The gravestone will be inspired by Elijah's Ouija patent and will feature the Ouija board drawing he included with his patent which was registered on February 10th 1891.

For the past fifteen years I have spent endless hours researching William Fuld, his associates, and how they relate to the Ouija board and its creation. Until recently Elijah Bond remained one of those unsolved mysteries. Today we are piecing together his life. This search led us to discover his forgotten and unmarked grave.

Now we are seeking donations to give Elijah Bond the respect and honor we believe he deserves for his role in patenting an American board game second to none in popularity. To date we have received an overwhelming response, and various organizations and businesses have pledged their support. While some have donated funding others have offered their time, unique skills, and market reach to help get the word out. It is an unlikely coalition ranging from financial professionals to ghost hunters all dedicated to giving Elijah Bond a gravestone.

Are you interested in becoming a part of Ouija history? Contact us to find out more.

*This page uses text and images from its parent site WilliamFuld.com. For more information about Elijah Bond and the Ouija board please visit WilliamFuld.com. Our copyright policy applies.