Years ago, I got inspiration for how to make bed skirts hassle-free. Every time I had to wash my bed skirt (which happened a lot because my little dog loved to rub his body against it) I’d have to remove the mattress to get it off. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. It’s nearly impossible to lay a mattress onto a bed skirt deck without everything going all cattywampus—especially doing it solo. And then there’s the everyday chore of making the bed. You know how a bed skirt will get caught up in the mattress when you tuck in the covers? Maybe not—that might be a personal issue I just shared for no good reason. However, to make my point…I looked into getting this Velcro-bed skirt patented only to find out the cost was exorbitant. Since then, someone else did it and is probably bringing in a boatload of cash. It’s a good thing inventors all around the world aren’t so easily defeated. Most especially, those in the good ol’ state of Tennessee. Otherwise, we’d be living without a lot of necessities.
First off, Tennessee has a penchant for treats. Cotton candy was invented in Nashville in 1897 by candy makers William Morrison and John Wharton. It’s not like I eat a lot of cotton candy. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had that sugary, mouth-watering treat. But childhood just wouldn’t have been the same without it. These inventors originally called it “Fairy Floss” and then introduced it at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. They sold almost 69,000 boxes for 25 cents a pop. Doesn’t sound like a lot now, but back then a quarter was the equivalent of $7.97 today. That’s well over a half a million dollars in our present economy!
Another treat invented in Tennessee was the Moon Pie. The Chattanooga Bakery, founded in the early 1900’s was a subsidiary of the Mountain City Flour Mill. Its original intention was to use the excess flour made at the mill. It did quite well, and by 1910, they had over 200 sugary confections to offer customers. In 1917, they developed what is today known as the Moon Pie. I can’t say I’m a fan, although some really love them.
What I do really like—and cannot buy because I’d have no control—is the Goo-Goo Cluster. Oh, my word, if you haven’t tried them, treat yourself. Just don’t buy an entire box! These sweets were invented by the Standard Candy Company in Nashville. They were the first ever combination candy bar. Before, you had your basic chocolate, or caramel, or taffy. But the Goo-Goo Cluster is a roundish mound of caramel, marshmallow nougat, roasted peanuts, and real milk chocolate. Yum! They had quite a time wrapping these odd-shaped candies.
Although there are many places that want to take credit for the invention of Mountain Dew, if you go to the actual source, (Mountain Dew,) and check out their history, you will discover it was invented in Knoxville, which is in Eastern Tennessee. And then there are Krystal Hamburgers (the South’s answer to White Castle burgers), which was another Chattanooga invention. I just have to share that as I’m writing this post, I am very hungry, and this is not helping!
Okay, let’s get off the food train. I can’t cover every Tennessee invention—there are just too many. But here are a few more interesting finds. Still another Chattanooga invention is Miniature Golf. When Garnet Carter went to patent the game in 1927 (obviously he wasn’t deterred by a little thing like cost) he called it “Tom Thumb Golf.” I don’t know many who have not played mini-golf, thanks to Mr. Carter.
The dumpster, originally called the Dempster Dumpster after inventor George Roby Dempster, was invented in Knoxville in 1935. It was designed to pick up used construction materials in order to cart them away. This was the birth of the garbage collection industry in the United States. By 1937, Knoxville was considered the first “Dump City.”
While we’re discussing manual labor inventions, I have to include the tow truck. It seems Knoxville and Chattanooga lead the way in inventions, as Earnest Holmes, Sr., a native Chattanoogan, birthed the towing industry in 1916. It was while he helped a friend retrieve his car. He used three poles, a pulley, and a chain hooked to the frame of a 1913 Cadillac. He was another brave (aka not deterred by cost) inventor who patented his invention and began manufacturing towing equipment for automotive garages. Where would we be without him today?
There is so much more—lots of technology that honestly doesn’t interest me as much as food, fun, and the blue-collar labor industry. The next time you call a tow truck, eat yourself some cotton candy, or knock back a can of Mountain Dew, remember Tennessee!
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