Fun History And Trivia About Garland Stoves
Posted on: 6 April 2015
If you're waiting for Garland stove parts, consider yourself lucky. Yes, lucky. If you had lived just a short time ago in history--as recently as the early 1800s--you wouldn't have even had a stove. Fortunately the Garland stove and its manufacturer paved the way for stoves in the US and throughout the world. Here's a bit of fun trivia and some history about the Garland stove to keep you entertained until your repair can be completed.
Before Detroit Was Known for Cars
Before Detroit, Michigan, became known as "Motor City," it was known for producing stoves. In 1861 the enterprising Dwyer brothers saw the need for something more efficient and attractive than an open hearth for heating and cooking. They opened the Detroit Stove Works, which later merged with the Michigan Stove Co. and built stoves made out of steel to suit both purposes.
The early Detroit stoves were immensely popular, and the four companies producing stoves at that time designed hundreds of models, with elaborate floral designs, themes, and carved scenes on them. During the 19th Century, Detroit manufactured ten percent of the entire world's stoves!
New Recipes with Stoves
The new stoves weren't just aesthetically pleasing; they gave people much more control over the cooking process as well. Cooks had the ability to adjust the flame and to use coal as fuel, not just wood, which burned hotter and faster.
The puddings, pies, souffles, and cakes you now take for granted were brand new to the average home baker in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries due to the advent of Detroit stoves.
The Giant Garland Stove
Stoves were such a big deal at the time of their invention that they were common inclusions for displays at state fairs. By the time of the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition (AKA the World's Fair), stoves were still in demand by the public as a novelty item.
The Michigan Stove Co. had a giant 25-foot high replica of their popular Garland brand stove carved out of wood and painted to look like metal for the fair. Afterward, it graced the company's factory roof for a number of years before becoming part of the Michigan State Fair Grounds.
Another Famous Garland Stove
There's another famous Garland stove on display, and that's at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. In 2002, the famous six-burner Garland stove used by television chef and cookbook author Julia Child was taken from her home in Cambridge, MA, and installed in the national museum. The beautiful stove served her well for over 40 years and was one of her treasured items.
If you are the proud owner of a Garland stove, you can see you're in good company. And now that you know a little more about the history of your appliance, hopefully that wait for parts will seem well worth it, and you'll get decades more use from your stove. To learn more, contact a company like K & D Factory Service Inc. with any questions or concerns you have.
Share