Ear Muffs
Surely ear Muffs
would be deserving
of a special day
– just for them...
surely!
Today’s the day!
Chester Greenwood was 15 years old
when he invented the ear muffs.
It was 1873
and Chester sold eggs.
He walked and walked
and walked and walked...
and sold eggs.
Sometimes, he sold peppermints
and sweets he had made,
but mostly...
he sold eggs.
His ears got cold,
so he invented something
to keep them warm.
His grandmother helped him.
He complained to her
that his ears were too cold
and he needed something
to keep them warm.
She knew that wool
made him itch,
so the mufflers every other
kid wore were no good.
Chester designed the muffs
and Gram sewed them.
The headband was made
from soft wire.
The inside of the muff
was made from black velvet,
while the outside
was made using beaver fur.
Chester called them
The Greenwood Champion
Ear Protectors.
Suddenly,
grandmothers all over the area
were being asked
to make ear muffs!
But Chester wasn’t happy
with the design...
The band material was changed
to flat steel, allowing him
to use hinges to attach
the ear pieces
snugly against his ears.
In 1877 (March 13th)
the design was patented.
Chester was 18 years old.
You can imagine
what happened next...
a small factory...
a big factory...
a multimillion dollar business...
By the time he died,
aged 79, in 1937,
Chester had more than
130 patented products,
including that hooky thing
that is used to get doughnuts
out of the hot oil.
After a little reluctance
to research Ear Muffs,
I find I am actually interested
in the history of ear muffs,
after all and am happy
to give a little cheer
to Chester!
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