From Pop-Tarts to Power Sources.
By: Andrea Melvin, Collections Curator
Grand Rapids and its surrounding areas have a long history of inventiveness. Did you know there have been important medical advancements, innovative entertainment, food and manufacturing processes developed here? These ideas have come about in different ways — some were created to solve a problem, others improved an already existing invention and some were just “happy accidents” that turned into something useful.
Take time to explore some fascinating “firsts” from the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Collections!
Bissell Carpet Sweeper.
An improved modern carpet sweeper with brushes was first invented by Melville Bissell in 1876. Carpet sweepers were precursors to vacuum cleaners. Bissell also claims to have had the first female CEO in America, Anna Bissell.
Hydroelectric Power.
The first industrial use of hydroelectric power in the United States was on July 24, 1880 in Grand Rapids.
Stannous Fluoride.
The first industrial use of hydroelectric power in the United States was on July 24, 1880. The Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company generated electricity by a dynamo belted to a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory which provided street and theater lighting.
Megaplex Movie Theater.
Studio 28, located in Wyoming, Michigan, was the first megaplex movie theater. It was opened in 1965 by Jack Loeks and operated 20 theaters.
Joint Replacements.
Dr. Alfred Swanson and his orthopedic research staff at Blodgett Memorial Hospital Center developed many of the joint replacements commonly used today.
Revolutionary Vaccines.
The whooping cough vaccine followed by a vaccine called DTP that combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) were invented in Grand Rapids by Dr. Pearl Kendrick, Dr. Grace Eldering and chemist Loney Clinton Gordon in the 1930s.
Wishbone Hanger.
In 1906, Meyer May, a men’s clothing store in Grand Rapids, became the first retailer to display clothing on hangers named ‘Wishbone’ created by John Thomas Batts Co. of Zeeland, Michigan.
Innovative Automotive Parts.
Bill Lear, was a prolific American inventor of radios and aircrafts. He based most of his company’s production in Grand Rapids. Some of Lear’s inventions include the first practical car radio, the first automatic station selector for radios, 8-track tape music cartridge and many aircraft systems.
Touch Typing.
Frank Edward McGurrin of Grand Rapids was credited as the inventor of touch typing. This form of typing involves not looking at the keyboard but relying on muscle memory as a way to increase typing speed. After winning a typing contest he described having first used the method while working at a law firm in Grand Rapids in 1878.
Two-speed Axel.
Walter Austin, founder of Austin Automobile Company in Grand Rapids, invented the two-speed axle for automobiles around 1913. The axle was a unique feature of the vehicle and was operated by a lever next to the transmission, giving cars gear ratios for both city and country driving.
External Cardiac Compressor.
Born from a collaboration of doctors at Butterworth Hospital and engineers at Lear Siegler during the early 1960s, the External Cardiac Compressor or “Thumper” is a mechanical CPR device designed to deliver continuous chest compressions to a patient in a state of acute cardiac arrest.
Furniture Design.
David W. Kendall was an early furniture designer and inventor in Grand Rapids employed by Berkey & Gay and the Phoenix Furniture Company. He is credited as inventing several furniture finishes including antique oak, the sixteenth century, the canary, the cremona and the malachite finishes.
Telephone.
The first telephones used in West Michigan were given to a Grand Rapids business owner in 1877, who was friends with Alexander Graham Bell. Bell invented and patented the first practical telephone in 1876.
Goldfish Crackers.
Ralph Hauenstein of Grand Rapids first came up with the idea to mass produce Goldfish crackers and sold the equipment to make them to Pepperidge Farms.
Pop-Tarts.
The leader of the team who invented Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts in 1964, Bill Post, is from Grand Rapids.
Explore the GRPM’s Collections to discover more” Grand Rapids’ firsts” as well as over 250,000 artifacts and specimens.
Sources:
- “Melville Reuben Bissell.” Wikipedia. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melville_Reuben_Bissell.
- “History of Hydropower.” The U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20100126001540/http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_history.html.
- “The Story of Fluoridation.” National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation#:~:text=In%201945%2C%20Grand%20Rapids%20became,the%20Institute%27s%20inception%20in%201948.
- “Studio 28.” Wikipedia. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_28.
- “In Memoriam: Dr. Alfred Swanson.” American Society of Hand Therapists. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://asht.org/about/blog/memoriam-dr-alfred-swanson.
- Thoms, Sue. “How 2 women scientists, helped by Grand Rapids, created whooping cough vaccine.” Mlive. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2015/01/how_grand_rapids_led_by_two_wo.html.
- “What difference did hangers make?” National Museum of American History. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://americanhistory.si.edu/object-project/ready-wear/wishbone-hanger
- “Inventor, Bill Lear.” HistoryGrandRapids.org by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Accessed December 9 2021. http://www.historygrandrapids.org/audio/4413/inventor-bill-lear.
- “Frank Edward McGurrin.” Wikipedia. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Edward_McGurrin.
- “Patent Model, Austin Axel.” Grand Rapids Public Museums Online Collections. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/179966.
- “Mechanical CPR Machine.” Grand Rapids Public Museums Online Collections. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://www.grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/161327.
- “David W. Kendall.” Furniture City History by Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Accessed December 9, 2021. http://www.furniturecityhistory.org/person/4668/david-w-kendall/collection/4700.
- “The Telephone.” HistoryGrandRapids.org by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Accessed December 9, 2021. http://www.historygrandrapids.org/audio/2418/the-telephone.
- Bundt, Matt Vande. “How Michigan man made Goldfish Crackers a snack phenomenon.” Mlive. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2016/01/ralph_hauenstein_goldfish.html.
- Petrovic, Lexi. “Mr. Pop-Tart: Grand Rapids man reflects on the snack he created 57 years later.” News Channel 3. Accessed December 9, 2021. https://wwmt.com/news/local/mr-pop-tart-grand-rapids-man-reflects-on-the-snack-he-created-57-years-later.