You can have a variety of magnets around you and not even realize it. Learn how to use magnets to your advantage and where they might be hiding in your home.
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Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Why People Still Use Coaxial Cables Today
First created in the mid-1800s, coaxial cables have seen impressive development over time. See why people still use coaxial cables to this day.
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Tips for Starting an At-Home Auto Shop
Starting a small business from the comfort of your home is a perfect way to secure some extra cash or begin a new career. Car hobbyists are perfect examples of individuals who are able to turn their lifelong hobby into a new venture. What may seem like just a hobby to you may be a […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Cybersecurity Training Tips for Employees
There are many threats to industries, but none can be as detrimental in today’s world with our reliance on technology than hackers. Not only is it necessary for there to be IT teams responsible for monitoring these suspicious activities, but employees need to be aware of the signs of hacking as well. Here are some cybersecurity training tips for employees that businesses should take note of.  […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Gadgets & Geeks: John Oster and the Osterizer
John Oster Sr. grew a business in Racine and gave the world the classic Osterizer blender. Oster (1891-1963) was born in Austria-Hungary and emigrated to the United States at age 14. Settling in Chicago, the ambitious young man learned English at night school and became an apprentice tool and die maker. He moved to Racine […]
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Gadgets and Geeks: Horlick’s Malted Milk
Welcome to Gadgets and Geeks – a series of stories that highlight inventions from Racine County. Pay close attention, because, in a few weeks the Racine County Eye will be holding a trivia contest with the answers gleaned from these stories. William and James Horlick didn’t know it at the time, but their 19th-century food […]
Posted inCulture, Gadgets & Geeks
Players… are you ready for Gadgets & Geeks
So you’ve lived in Racine County all of your life… or maybe you haven’t. But did you know the director’s chair, automatic candy cane crooker (because who likes to eat a straight stick of candy cane?), and the nursing (baby) bottle were all invented by people from Racine? No? Yes? Well… we have a ton […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
N.M. Ruthstein – The Steel Shoe Man
By Paul Holley In the early part of the 20th century, workers on farms, mines, construction site and elsewhere needed sturdy work boots. Nathan M. Ruthstein was the guy who provided them! Ruthstein was born in 1876 (or 1878 by some records) and arrived in the U.S. about 1893. He located in Racine shortly after […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Joseph Haban and the husker-sheller
A Racine County farm boy with a knack for engineering developed better ways to doing things from harvesting corn to removing snow. Joseph Haban (1917-2011) grew up on a farm in Mount Pleasant and trained as a mechanical engineer. In the early 1950s, he hit on the idea of a device that could be attached […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Rev. John Wesley Carhart and the Spark
Exactly who is the Father of the Automobile? That may be subject to debate, but Racine will claim the Rev. John Wesley Carhart. Carhart (1834-1914) spent just three years in Racine as pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, but his inventiveness had a lasting impact. Well before Carhart’s 1871 arrival in Racine, the New […]
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Frederick Blandin and the phonograph
A Racine letter carrier’s interest in woodworking became a lifelong career that played a role in the early days of the auto industry and what is now home entertainment. Frederick Blandin (1862-1927) started a part-time venture in 1889 making wood toys and household goods from a workshop behind his home at 1612 Winslow Street. In […]
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Rench, von Schrader and clean carpets
A pair of Racine entrepreneurs turned an unwanted business into a global success that lives on today. Back in 1935, Francis von Schrader (1904-1992) and Harry D. (H.D.) Rench (1901-1980) worked at electric appliance maker Hamilton Beach. The company’s carpet cleaning equipment division was managed by von Schrader while Rench oversaw the Hamilton Beach marketing […]
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Twin Disc and its role in D-Day
June 6 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day – a key event in World War II. Starting that day, wave after wave of Allied troops (approximately 156,000) invaded the Axis-held beaches of Normandy, France. A product made by Racine’s Twin Disc was there, too. Virtually every marine gear used by the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Matthew Andis and the electric hair clipper
An ambitious toolmaker — with a better idea — has made it possible for people and animals to look their best for nearly 100 years. Matthew Andis (1883-1976) emigrated to the U.S. from Hungary in 1908 and arrived in Racine in 1912. After working as a toolmaker at Mitchell Motor Car Co., he opened a […]
Posted inGadgets & Geeks
Arthur B. Modine and heat transfer
If you’ve ever ridden in an air-conditioned car, thank Arthur B. Modine – one of Racine’s most prolific inventors, who was awarded 122 U.S. patents during his lifetime and built an international manufacturing business. Modine (1885-1981), a Chicago native, arrived in Racine in 1913. He’d earned a degree in mechanical engineering and was extremely busy […]
