Birth of Josephine Garis Cochran

Birth of Josephine Garis Cochran

Josephine Cochran was born in Ohio, on March 8th, 1839.
After moving to Illinois, she married William Cochran on October 13, 1858, who went on to become a prosperous dry goods merchant and Democratic Party politician.

In 1870 she became a socialite, they moved into a mansion, and began throwing dinner parties using heirloom china allegedly dating from the 1600s.
After one event, the servants carelessly chipped some of the dishes, causing her to search for a safer alternative.
She also wanted to relieve tired housewives from the duty of washing dishes after a meal.

She designed a set of wire compartments, each created to fit plates, cups, or saucers.
The compartments were placed inside a wheel that lay flat inside a copper boiler, while a motor turned the wheel, pumping hot soapy water from the bottom of the boiler.

The machine was showcased in the World Columbian Exposition of 1893, helping to establish a market for the dishwasher in hotels and large restaurants.

Since most homes’ hot water heaters could not supply the amount of hot water the dishwasher required, the machine’s large size, limited the company’s sales.

It was not until the 1950s, that increased availability of hot water in the home, effective dishwashing detergent, and a change in attitudes toward housework, made dishwashers popular with the general public.

The Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Company, became part of KitchenAid®, and in 1949, the first KitchenAid dishwasher based on Cochran’s design was introduced to the public.
Today, the dishwasher is a standard appliance in most households, around the world.

Josephine died of a stroke, possibly bought on from exhaustion, in Chicago, Illinois, on August 14, 1913.
She was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Shelbyville, Illinois.

In 2006 Josephine was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
A brilliant Lady, who gave housewives everywhere the luxury of not having to hand wash dishes!
Josephine, we salute you!