Marvin Chester Stone (4 April 1842 – 17 May 1899)[1] was an American inventor. He is best known for inventing the modern drinking straw.
Marvin Stone | |
|---|---|
 Stone during the Civil War | |
| Born | Marvin Chester Stone 4 April 1842 Portage County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 17 May 1899 (aged 57) Columbia Road, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Burial place | Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation | Inventor |
| Spouse | Jane "Jennie" Platt |
Early life edit
Stone was born in Portage County, Ohio in 1842. The son of an inventor, Stone made many useful articles in his boyhood. He was a graduate of Oberlin College, although his course of study was interrupted by his service in the Civil War.[2] During the Civil War, Stone served in the 7th Ohio Regiment.[3] He was injured in the Battle of Lookout Mountain, and sent to Washington D.C. on special duty with the Veteran Reserve Corps.[3]
After college, Stone began a theological course, but abandoned it to go to Washington, D.C. where he was employed as a newspaper correspondent for several years.[2]
Career edit
Stone began his career as an inventor by creating a machine to make paper cigarette holders. Stone secured a contract with the W. Duke Sons & Co. and opened a factory in Washington, D.C.[4] to produce cigarette holders for the company's Cameo brand of cigarettes.[5]
Later, Stone developed the modern drinking straw.[2] Prior to Stone's invention, people used natural rye grass straws, which imparted an undesirable grassy flavor in beverages.[6] To combat the problem, Stone made the first drinking straw prototypes by spiraling a strip of paper around a pencil and gluing it at the ends.[7] Next he experimented with paraffin wax-coated manila paper, so that the straw would not get soggy when used. Stone's straws were 8 ½ inches long[8] and had a diameter just wide enough to prevent things like fruit pips from getting lodged in the tube.[9]
Stone received the patent of the "artificial straw" on January 3, 1888. It was made out of paper.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] By 1890, Stone's factory was producing more drinking straws than cigarette holders.[7]
Stone invented a number of other items during his career, including a kind of fountain pen[3] and an umbrella.[16]
Personal life edit
Stone was married to Jane "Jennie" Platt.
Later life and death edit
Stone used the newfound wealth from his straw business for a variety of philanthropic causes.[9] He furnished lodging for his female employees, including a large library, music room, meeting room, and dancing floor.[2] In addition, he and several others built two blocks of tenement houses for African American residents of Washington, D.C.[9]
Stone died in his home in Columbia Road, Washington, D.C., on 17 May 1899 after a long illness.[2]
References edit
- ^ Wilson, Lawrence (1907). Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864: With Roster, Portraits and Biographies. New York and Washington: Neale Publishing Company. pp. 440–441.
- ^ a b c d e "Obituary, Marvin Chester Stone". Home Furnishing Review, Volume 15. 1899: 323.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c "Death of Marvin C. Stone". Evening Star. Washington, D.C. 18 May 1899. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Untitled Article". Washington, D.C.: National Republican. 11 September 1886. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "A Cigarette Holder Factory". The Weekly Sentinel (Winston-Salem, N.C.). 21 October 1886. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ Thompson, Derek (22 November 2011). "The Amazing History and the Strange Invention of the Bendy Straw". The Atlantic.
- ^ a b Broda-Bahm, Chris. "The Straight Truth About the Flexible Drinking Straw". Smithsonian Museum of American History, Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ Madrigal, Alexis (21 June 2018). "Disposable America". The Atlantic.
- ^ a b c d Bisset, Colin (30 September 2013). "How the drinking straw created a fairer America". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ "1888 Heavy-Duty Paper Drinking Straws (Pack of 24)".
- ^ "History – StoneStraw".
- ^ "A History of Paper Straws".
- ^ John Kelly (4 November 2018) [2018-11-03]. "Good to the last drop: The drinking straw was invented in Washington". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.[please check these dates]
- ^ "A Brief History of the Straw".
- ^ "What Once Was Washington DC, Center of Manufacturing". TheInTowner. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ "Patents Issued". Washington, D.C.: Evening Star. 1 January 1884. Retrieved 23 July 2018.