Breaking
John H. Dwight and the ratchet jack
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), Read More
Articles by Paul Holley
Breaking
Racine Council to Consider Water Street Redevelopment Plan Extension
By Rex Davenport Special to Racine County Eye As Racine County waits for what may—or may not—become the massive Foxconn Technology Group industrial complex, area communities must speculate on how that project may affect other Read More
Breaking
City to decide on next phase of North Memorial Drive site remediation, redevelopment
By Rex Davenport Special to Racine County Eye The City of Racine appears ready to take to next steps to rehabilitate a long-vacant North Memorial Drive former industrial site and make it ready for new Read More
Breaking
What’s next for Highway KR?
As public opinion – and controversy – swirls around the Foxconn Technology Group’s planned manufacturing complex in southwestern Mount Pleasant, work continues on a number of infrastructure improvements that surround the project. Among the most Read More
Breaking
Big Boy Locomotive Rumbles Through Racine County
By Paul Holley The Iron Horse still has a lot of friends in Racine County. Onlookers – young and old – jammed rail crossings and bridges Friday morning for a glimpse at (and the chance Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Joseph Haban and the husker-sheller
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Rev. John Wesley Carhart and the Spark
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Frederick Blandin and the phonograph
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Gadgets & Geeks: John Oster and the Osterizer
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Twin Disc and its role in D-Day
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Matthew Andis and the electric hair clipper
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
Arthur B. Modine and heat transfer
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 Read More
Gadgets & Geeks
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 Read More