J. Frank Duryea

James Frank Duryea and his brother Charles invented the first gasoline powered automobile in America.

The brothers were born in Illinois, Charles in Canton, Illinois, in 1861 and Frank in Wyoming, Illinois, in 1869. Both graduated from high school. Charles moved to Washington, DC, to work in the bicycle business. Frank followed closely on his heels in 1888. Two more moves in as many years brought the Duryea brothers to Springfield, Massachusetts. Charles had already earned a reputation for unusual design elements in his sylph bicycle, with a smaller wheel in front and a steering lever on the sides of the seat. Said one colleague, Charles, its a freak.

Source: Wikipedia