Humans have worked on ways to make garments water resistant almost since they started to wear them. But figuring out how to manufacture a raincoat using rubber was a big breakthrough that took centuries.
Research:

Robert Moses and the Shaping of New York, Part 2
42:12

Robert Moses and the Shaping of New York, Part 1
41:59

SYMHC Classics: Eradication of Smallpox
43:25