U.S. Mail Delivery via “Auto[matic]” Horse
One hundred years ago in Redlands, California, there were no mail trucks or mail cars…just a mail horse.
U.S. Mail Delivery via “Auto[matic]” Horse Read More »
Entrepreneurs & Inventors
When Gasoline-Powered Cars Were First Used, Where Did They Get Gasoline?
This fall I taught a class at the Osher Institute at UCLA; the class was called American Moments and one day I was talking about early automobiles and why gas-powered
When Gasoline-Powered Cars Were First Used, Where Did They Get Gasoline? Read More »
Little-Known Facts about the Pony Express and the Mail
Though the Pony Express began in 1860 and only existed for eleven months, almost every American has heard about this early way of delivering the mail. However, here are some facts you probably don’t know:
- The official name of the Pony Express was The Central Overland, California and Pikes Peak Express Company.
- Young boys were generally hired because of the company rule that no rider should weigh more than 125 pounds.
Little-Known Facts about the Pony Express and the Mail Read More »
A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
This weekend I had the opportunity to go on a behind-the-scenes visit to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at an event sponsored by the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (LAHTF). We were led from lobby to basement to backstage and on up into the inner sanctum of the special VIP seating. It was quite a thrill.
A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Read More »
Women Inventors
If asked to name a woman inventor, could you? They are out there but male inventors have dominated for years. Until about 1840, only about 20 patents were issued to women. One speculation as to why so few women received patents has to do with women’s legal status in the 19th century. Because they had few legal rights, they would not stand to gain from the sale of any patent; those who did have worthy ideas tended to take out the patent under the names of their husband’s or father’s.
First Woman on Cover of Business Week
Brownie Wise made her name using home parties to sell Tupperware. She was not the inventor of the home party sales method, but she was a master at it. This
First Woman on Cover of Business Week Read More »