Hi s t o r i c Ha p p e n i n g s
Dishwasher Invented Josephine Cochrane had ingenuity in her genes. Her great- grandfather is credited with the steamboat and her father John Garis helped build the original city of Chicago. Josephine is reported to have said, “If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I’ll do it myself.”
In 1886, Josephine Cochrane of Shelbyville, patented the first dishwasher. She invented the machine in a woodshed adjoining her home, which still stands today on South Broadway. For sev- eral years, she privately promoted her company, the Cochrane’s Crescent Washing Machine Company. In 1893, she unveiled her invention at the World’s Fair and won the highest award. Years later, with the purchase of the original patent, her company became the now famous, KitchenAid® Company.
In 2007, Channel ARD from Germany filmed a documentary named Patents and Talents. They came to Shelbyville for several days to film a re-enact- ment of Josephine and her dishwasher using local residents. While filming, the crew also visited other areas in Shelbyville and met German exchange students enrolled at Shelbyville High School.
The film crew was impressed with how many people in the area new about the dishwasher and other inventions significant to the area.
Horace Tallman Hay Baler 30
Horace M. Tallman was the inventor of the 1st successful me- chanical Pick-up Hay Baler. Tallman was born in 1863 in Shelby County and later moved to Shelbyville. In 1905, he spent long hours building small models of hay balers and sold his first invention to the Ann Arbor Machine Co. in 1915. He bought the company four years later when they went bankrupt. In 1922, he moved the company and equipment to Shelbyville. Mr.Tallman passed away April 17, 1929, and his sons continued the work. In 1930, a farmer bought and operated a brand new Ann Arbor pickup baler, setting a new record for getting such a radically new machine into production. By 1935, the family was operating in 19 countries. Oliver took over the company in 1943 and moved the operation in 1970. In 1980, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers dedicated a plaque in Shelbyville com- memorating the importance of Tallman’s hay balers to American agriculture.
Robert Root
Stop by the Shelby County Historical Society (SCHS) to learn more about the famous Shelbyville artist, Robert Root. A man prominent in the cultural life of Illinois— his most famous paintings include the Lincoln-Douglas Debate (which hangs in the Illinois State Capital Build- ing) and the Lincoln Thornton debate (which hangs in the Shelby County Courthouse). Critics have declared that the artist’s portraits of Lincoln as shown in these pic- tures are the best that have ever been painted. Literature on Root can be found at the SCHS or the Public Library.
Muralist
Stop by the Shelbyville Post Office to view a recently restored, beautiful painting, “Shelby County Fair Mural” by artist Sister Lucia Wiley. The mural was dedicated on June 13, 1941. It was painted using egg tempera, a paint that is made by combining egg whites with pigments and oil. The mural was funded through the Treasurey Department’s Section of Fine Arts. Sister Wiley’s art is displayed in many Post Offices around the nation. To see her other work, please visit
www.muralist.org.
Sta-Rite
Since 1917 Sta-Rite has been manufacturing hair pins. Sta-Rite helped to develop the bobby pin and started manufacturing them in 1926. During World War II Sta-Rite shifted production to supply millions of metal safety clips and arming wires for bombs in support of the USA war effort. The Sta-Rite employees received an Army-Navy “E” (for Excellence) Award both in 1943 and 1944. Sta-Rite employed 1000 persons during World War II. Sta-Rite is owned and operated by Robert N. Bolinger and R. Noel Bolinger II of
Shelbyville.For more information visit the website at
www.sta-riteginnielou.com.
Trick My Truck transformed Darrel Best’s 1942 American La France Fire Truck into a mobile wedding
chapel. The episode aired in 2009
after four months of renovation. The truck named “The Best Man” has been featured on ABC’s World News Tonight with Charles Gibson and on the BBC in the United Kingdom. September 2010, “The Best Man” made Ripley’s Be- lieve It or Not! It is now in the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records.
The truck features a video system and a 14 foot chapel. The Best Man has hosted the weddings of couple from as far away as Florida and California. Picturesque Lake Shelbyville is one of the most popular spots for ceremonies. The Best Man is available from the first day of spring until Halloween.
For more information on this or Best Wedding Chapel, visit
www.bestweddingchapel.com or call 774-7809.
To u c h s t o n e En e rg y Ba l l o o n Fe s t
Re p re s e n t a t i v e s From Bo t h Ev e n t s
Award Winning! Governor’s Hometown Awards Winners
2011
S t ewa rd s o n Ha u n t e d Ba r n a n d Tr a i l
31
Ph o t o c o u r t e s y : S h e l b y v i l l e Da i l y Un i o n
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21