Final answer:
The proliferation of steam power and related industrial technologies in the Gilded Age led to the invention of the adding machine which helped increase office productivity and influenced the creation of modern calculators and tabulators.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major innovation in the Gilded Age that stimulated the development of calculators and tabulators was the advent and proliferation of steam power and related industrial technologies. During this time, there were significant strides in technology which included the introduction of devices like the typewriter, cash register, and the adding machine. These devices were crucial in increasing office productivity and were predecessors to modern calculators and tabulators.
In an era marked by rapid business growth, inventions were necessary to keep up with the complex calculations and records required in burgeoning industries. The adding machine, invented in 1885, is particularly noteworthy, as it helped pave the way for the development of more sophisticated calculating devices, leading eventually to the creation of calculators and computerized tabulation systems that we use today.