Cities and towns you’ve never heard of can take credit for several big inventions, including the electric wheelchair, photocopier, and the first true electric guitar. All across the country, there are numerous small towns with big inventions attached to their names. Let’s take a look at some of the coolest inventions from small towns around the country.
The Wright Brothers and More in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio, isn’t just famous for playing center stage to the Wright brothers’ endeavors in figuring out flight. It’s also the origin of several other top inventions, including the pop-top can, electric wheelchairs, the cash register, and Freon. Dayton is just a mid-sized city in Ohio, but its legacy is larger than life.
The Birthplace of Film in Rochester, New York
Rochester is the hometown of Eastman Kodak, which helped revolutionize photography and filmmaking. The company’s earliest film rolls helped launch Hollywood and continue into the modern age with Instagram. Xerox was also founded in Rochester, making it the home of the first photocopier as well.
Palo Alto – Where the Digital Revolution Started
Palo Alto, California, is no longer a small town, but it was in the 1970s and 1980s. It was the birthplace of Silicon Valley and the first Apple computer. Later innovations from Stanford, HP, and Fairchild Semiconductor helped bring about the digital revolution with modern computers and tech culture.
Find the Rubber Capital of the World in Akron, OH
Akron was once the headquarters of tire giants like Goodyear, Firestone, and B.F. Goodrich. Tires made in Akron went on to power everything from the Ford Model T to vehicles used in the Apollo missions. It also played a central role in the innovation of synthetic rubber and polymers.
America’s First Research and Development Hub
Known as Edison’s electric playground, Menlo Park, NJ, is widely considered to be the first real research and development hub in America. Thomas Edison’s lab was here, and saw the development of inventions like the lightbulb, the photograph, and the motion picture camera.
Car Manufacturing in Dearborn, MI
Dearborn’s reputation as a car manufacturing hub started with Henry Ford’s assembly line at the Rouge Complex. It eventually turned auto manufacturing into a global force. It didn’t just change transportation forever, but it also changed production models and wages all over the globe.
The First Electric Guitar
The Rickenbacker Frying Pan was born in Schwenksville, PA, and is considered by many to be the first true electric guitar. The eventual mainstream success of the electric guitar is what set the stage for the birth of the rock & roll industry.
Birthplace of the Beer Industry
Golden, Colorado, is the home of Coors Brewing Company, which originally pioneered innovations in aluminum canning and water recycling. Long before sustainable options became trendy, Coors was already working on ways to reduce waste.
As you can see, some of the biggest inventions over the last several decades happened in towns that many Americans have never heard of. Some of these inventions put the towns on the map, while other towns continue to fly under the radar to this day.
