By Paul Holley John H. Dwight’s idea for a new product – the ratchet jack – helped lead to a Racine company’s 80-year run in the auto parts industry. One day in 1912, Dwight (1881-1933), who had worked at the Mitchell Motor Co., took the opportunity to pitch his idea to William A. Walker (1859-1919) […]
Tag: Gadgets and Geeks
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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 […]
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Joseph Haban and the husker-sheller
By Paul Holley 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 […]
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Rev. John Wesley Carhart and the Spark
By Paul Holley 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 […]
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Frederick Blandin and the phonograph
By Paul Holley 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 […]
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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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Gadgets & Geeks: John Oster and the Osterizer
By Paul Holley 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 […]
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Twin Disc and its role in D-Day
By Paul Holley 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 […]
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Matthew Andis and the electric hair clipper
By Paul Holley 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., […]
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Arthur B. Modine and heat transfer
Paul Holley 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 […]
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John W. Hammes and the garbage disposal
As the old saying goes – necessity is the mother of invention. In the case of John W. Hammes, a disliked chore (taking out the garbage) resulted in the invention of a household appliance that is now used around the world. Hammes (1895-1953), a Racine architect, headed to his basement workshop in 1927 to devise […]
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Albert Dremel and the rotary tool
Few inventors are fortunate enough to have their invention become known by their name. Racine’s Albert J. Dremel is one of those inventors. Dremel (1887-1968) emigrated to the U.S. from Austria in the early 1900s and became a trained design engineer. Although he held design posts at the J.I. Case Co. and other manufacturers, Dremel […]
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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 […]