Although no one knows for certain who invented pool tables, it is clear that they have been around for quite some time. The earliest written records about the game date back at least to the 1500s in Northern Europe. It was loved by all ages. It has been popularized in the United States for many decades.
The original game of pool was played on grass, or a board with holes in the middle. It was played using object balls that had numbers from 1 to 15. The game was similar to croquet, in that the player shoved the ball rather than striking it. In the 1600s, the "mace", a wooden stick that was used to strike the ball was invented.
The game was further refined by adding a cue stick, wooden hoop and balls. It was very popular in Europe and then spread to the United States. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that the game became popular worldwide.
The history of the game is somewhat hazy but many people have contributed to its development. The indoor billiard table was first invented by King Louis XI, France. It was also a popular pastime after the Industrial Revolution, and grew in popularity in England. The game was also popular among the French nobility.
It became a popular game in the United States after it was introduced. Many of the first settlers brought billiards to the United States. Tournaments were held across the country. The game became popular in nicer saloons, and the cost of the equipment was prohibitive to the lower classes.
The game's history was made even more complicated when ivory was introduced as a ball material. Ivory was originally made from elephant tusks. Ivory became increasingly popular in the 17th Century, but it wasn't indestructible.
Ivory pool balls were replaced by a new ball material in the 1920s. This new ball material was made with a mixture between nitrocellulose & camphor. It can explode when it is struck with extreme power.
This new ball material was called a composite ball. Although the nitrocellulose was not very stable, it was an inexpensive alternative to ivory. After a while the stick and hoop had to be abandoned. The cue tip was also made from leather, which allowed for better ball hitting.
The game continued to develop, and in the late 1800s, it began to take off in the United States. John Wesley Hyatt was a billiards player who invented a ball of camphor and nitrogencellulose in the late 1870s. This ball material was not stable and could explode when hit with extreme force.
Michael Phelan was another important figure in the development of the game. He is a well-known pool player. Phelan, whose father immigrated from Ireland into the United States in 1883 and Michael followed him to the pool hall trade, was born in Ireland. Phelan eventually wrote a book called pool which inspired a new generation.