A Brief History of from a Single Light Bulb to a Know-It-All Virtual Assistant, the Past Century Has Taken Us on a Roller Coaste
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A brief history of From a single light By Ed Crowell hen Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative powered the first light bulb to a know-it-all bulbs in rural Central Texas in 1939, the World’s Fair in New York was unveiling an all-electric home with a dazzling kitchen, virtual assistant, the complete with a refrigerator, electric range, dishwasher, coffee maker, garbage disposal, food mixer and an automatic toaster. past century To allow buyers in Texas and other states to get a close look at these life-changing devices, the federal Rural Electrification Administration outfitted a traveling show has taken us on a of circus tents filled with innovative home appliances. The caravan of dreams drew crowds by the thousands, and by the early 1940s, appliance sales were skyrocketing. Wood-burning stoves, clothing washboards and heavy hand irons heated by a fire roller coaster of — all of which required backbreaking labor — were pushed aside for these conve- niences of modern living. innovation Timeline and story continued on page 22 A TIMELIME OF ELECTRIC HOME DEVICES 1916 1920s 1929 GM buys first self- Armstrong Electric Co. unveils Former U.S. contained electric Perc-O-Toaster, which makes Army Lt. refrigerator from toast and coffee in one. Its ad Col. Jacob Alfred Mellowes, touts, “Your complete breakfast Schick who developed it in prepared in one appliance.” develops a backyard in Fort electric Wayne, Ind. GM 1927 shaver 1946 1882 names it Frigidaire Architect after having trouble Raytheon Corp. Summer relief and begins mass John W. shaving in below-zero weather 1940 engineer Percy comes with production; ‘fridge’ Hammes of while mining in Alaska. CBS researchers LeBaron Spencer electric fan 1889 enters the lexicon. Racine, Wis., invented first discovered invention by Singer company develops mechanical color microwave Schuyler Skaats introduces first practical first garbage TV system in 1940, cooking by Wheeler, a New electric sewing machine. disposal, 1937 based on 1928 accident when York City engineer. 1919 nicknamed First Waring designs. Federal he got close to KitchenAid ‘electric Blender debuts Communications magnetron in produces first pig’ by as Miracle Mixer Commission lab that melted 1891 household 1926 manufacturer at National approved unrefined candy bar in electric Toastmaster, first electric Emerson Restaurant Show system in 1950, but his pocket. He Carpenter Electric Manufacturing Co. in stand-up pop-up toaster, goes on sale. Electric Co. first color TV sets experimented by Minneapolis-St. Paul introduces electric in Chicago, food mixer. Invented by Charles Strite, who demonstrated did not hit market cooking popcorn Before electricity oven. Its 1893 catalog tells how to bake didn’t like burned toast served until early 1950s. near magnetron, reached the homes of pies: Place pies ‘in the oven, turn on the by Fred Waring in cafeteria of Minnesota plant himself. then built crude rural Central Texans, electricity for thirty minutes, then take the where he worked. metal box for appliances had been pies out. They will always be done.’ magnetron in use in major cities — the initial for years. By the microwave oven time power reached 1908 1908 — to heat his farmhouses, the 1926 1938 lunches. Practical sparkling world of Hoover vacuum cleaner goes on sale after James Alva J. Fisher invents C. G. Johnson, founder of Ross Moore, who hated hanging wet laundry as boy Murray Spangler, a night janitor in Canton, Ohio, microwaves easier living arrived in a electric washing machine Overhead Door Corp. (now based in North Dakota, invents clothes dryer but can’t find for home use flash. Above, an image whose asthma worsens from dust, invents device called the Thor, made by in Lewisville in Dallas-Forth Worth company to build it until Hamilton Manufacturing in using fan, tin box, sateen pillowcase and broom appeared in from an ad for a Waring Hurley Machine Co. of area), invents electric garage door Two Rivers, Wis., embraces idea and begins selling 1960s. hand mixer, circa 1955. handle. He sells patent to Hoover. Chicago. opener in Hartford City, Ind. first ‘June Day’ dryer in 1938. 20 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE April 2019 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop April 2019 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 21 Continued from page 21 help consumers understand how all those ingly “smart” electronics into the home that controls the thermostat and lights, The consumer race for electric appliances new appliances could change lives. Bluebon- merge internet connectivity with phones, security cameras, and other smart ap- gained momentum as World War II ended in net hired Lavonne Morrow to demonstrate computers, artificial intelligence devices and pliances. Users can stream movies and 1945. The post-war housing boom increased microwave cooking, and some events drew appliances. Alexa, the voice-activated vir- music and have video chats. consumer demand for kitchen appliances as more than 100 eager learners. She shared rec- tual assistant in the Amazon Echo device, Or, there is always the option to well as electric radios and then TVs. ipes for microwave casseroles, three-minute was unveiled in 2016, and 100 million had just ignore all of these chatty, mind- By the 1950s, color televisions were avail- fudge and even a tiny birthday cake baked been sold by the end of 2018, according to boggling innovations. able, though most popular TV shows aired in an ice cream cone. To consumers’ amaze- the company. A seemingly endless stream of Today’s refrigerators are a long way in black-and-white until the late 1950s or ment, she showed how an entire meal for six other new devices can connect with the Echo from the Giddings High School early 1960s. General Electric made its house- people could be prepared and cooked in a or its top competitor, Google Home. Virtual “home ec” classes that Shirley hold appliances pop by adding color such as microwave in just 30 to 45 minutes. assistants can turn on and off smart applianc- Hannes began teaching in 1961. Petal Pink and Canary Yellow (a design trend Clearly, electric appliances were chang- es and timers, stream music and read books She commanded four kitchen nooks that may have influenced the future Apple ing American culture. The convenience of to you, and each adds new skills regularly. A filled with stoves, refrigerators, CEO Steve Jobs in the late 1990s when he a microwave, washing machine or vacuum glut of smart security cameras that allow you washers and dryers, all loaned by unveiled colorful “flavors” of the iMac per- cleaner freed more time for work outside to view the outside or inside of your home Bluebonnet. Hannes made certain sonal desktop computer: blueberry, straw- the home. Growing numbers of American on your phone are popping up everywhere. her students knew how to use the berry, lime, tangerine and grape). women joined the workforce for a paycheck. In the living room, consumers are making latest in home appliances, some of At Bluebonnet’s then-headquarters in Gid- America turned its attention to the envi- way for big-screen televisions with curved which must have glowed in mid- dings, electric appliances could be viewed ronment in the 1970s, as oil and gas supply displays, screens that roll up and down and century hues of Harvest Gold and and touched, just like in a retail showroom. crises brought long lines at the gas pumps technology that illuminates every pixel in the Avocado. Bluebonnet held appliance demonstrations and prompted President Jimmy Carter to ask screen. That means viewers can sit at any an- Hannes, who now lives south of in small towns and communities across its Americans to save energy by turning thermo- gle to the screen without a distorted image. Houston in Pearland, doesn’t want service area. stats to 65 or lower in the winter. Some of today’s refrigerators have cameras a virtual assistant like Alexa, but The 1960s and 1970s brought the ability It’s no surprise that the 1980s and 1990s inside to show whether you need to buy she loves the two-door refrigera- to save substantial time on cooking. Micro- saw advances in energy efficiency in home milk or eggs when you check from a smart- tor she bought in 2018 because it waves, Crock-Pots and Mr. Coffee — the appliances and a big turn toward automa- phone while at the grocery store. Samsung’s makes and dispenses ice. Women gather at an appliance showcase in the Bluebonnet region in the mid- first automatic drip machine — were un- tion. In 1992, the Environmental Protection $4,100 fridge also has a computer screen She’s not one to replace appliances just to 1940s. Appliance shows like this, put on by the federal Rural Electrification veiled and embraced by consumers. Cui- Agency introduced the Energy Star program on the outside door for searching recipes, have the newest model. “We built our house Administration, drew large crowds across the country. Join us at our Annual sinart food processors and hot-air popcorn to promote the purchase of energy-efficient displaying family photos and keeping lists in 1976, and the stove was new then,” she Meeting on May 14 in Giddings to see a lineup of vintage appliances, our large poppers also made kitchen time less onerous. appliances. and calendars. GE’s new Kitchen Hub is a said. “It’s still in good shape, so I’m not plan- appliance timeline and other nods to our 80th anniversary. The event is open to Again, Bluebonnet took center stage to Today’s digital age is bringing increas- smart screen on a stove ventilation hood. It ning to replace it yet.” l all Bluebonnet members. Continued from page 21 1950 1968 1973 2001 2015 Zenith develops first TV remote control, Clairol’s Home chefs slice, Swedish company Five Elements the ‘Lazy Bones,’ connected to TV by True- dice and purée food Electrolux introduces Robotics unveils cable.