Josephine M (Garis) Cochran (1841 - 1913)

Born 8 Mar 1841 in Ashtabula, Ohio, United States

Died 3 Aug 1913 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Categories: Notables | Inventors.

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Biography

1841 Josephine Garis was born to John Garis and Irene Fitch in Ashtabula County, Ohio, USA on 8 Mar 1841.^[1]

1858 Josephine married William Apperson Cochran (23 Jun 1831 - 20 Oct 1883), on 13 Oct 1858.^[2][3]

1870 Josephine and William provided a home for Josephine's young sister, Minnie, in Shelbyville, Illinois, USA.

• Wm Cochran M 38 Illinois
• Cochran (Josephine) F 28 Ohio
• Minie Cochran F 12 Indiana^[4]

1880 At the 1880 US Census Josephine and family were living in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. William worked as a circuit clerk.

• William A Cochran Self M 49 Illinois, United States
• Josephene M Cochran Wife F 40 Ohio, United States
• Katherine Cochran Daughter F 10 Illinois, United States
• Minnie M Garis Other F 23 Indiana, United States
• Mary Hoffman Other F 19 Ohio, United States^[5]

1900 On the 1900 US Census, Josephine is listed as a manufacturer of washing machines. Her sister Minnie taught music. They resided in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

• Josephine Cochrane Head F 59 Ohio
• Minnie M Garris Sister F 45 Indiana
• Anna F Colt Boarder F 43 New York
• Charles M Colt Boarder M 36 New York^[6]

1910 Josephine and Minnie were still living in Chicago, Illinois in 1910.

• Josephine Cockran Head F 60 Ohio
• Annie F Colt Boarder F 53 New York
• Minnie Garis Boarder F 55 Indiana
• Emma F Putzier Servant F 23 Illinois^[7]

1913 Josephine Garis Cochran died 3 Aug 1913 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA. She was buried at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois on 4 Aug 1913.^[1][8]

From Find-A-Grave^[8]

Josephine Cochrane (March 8, 1841, Ashtabula County, Ohio - August 3, 1913) made the first practical mechanical dishwasher in 1886, in Shelbyville, Illinois., although a washing machine device was patented in 1850 by Joel Houghton (see Dishwasher, History). Mrs. Cochrane was a rich woman who held many fancy dinner parties. She did not do any of the dishes herself because she had servants to do that for her, but she wanted a machine that could do the job faster without chipping any dishes. No one had invented such a machine so she built one herself. She has always dreamed of being famous. She is said to have exclaimed, "If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself!" First she measured the dishes. Then she built wire compartments, each specially designed to fit either plates, cups, or saucers. The compartments were placed inside a wheel that lay flat inside a copper boiler. A motor turned the wheel while hot soapy water squirted up from the bottom of the boiler and rained down on the dishes. Her friends were very impressed and had her make dishwashing machines for them, calling them the "Cochrane Dishwasher". Her friends talked a lot about their new machines and soon, Mrs. Cochrane was getting orders for her dishwashing machine from restaurants and hotels in Illinois. She patented her design and went into production. She showed her invention at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and won the highest prize for "best mechanical construction, durability and adaptation to its line of work". She started the Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Company, which became part of KitchenAid, which became part of Whirlpool. She died in Chicago in 1917.

Research Notes

She developed the first practical mechanical dishwashing machine in 1886. She found after a major dinner party she often gave, there were countless dishes to be cleaned. She wanted something that could quickly clean and not break the dishes. She designed a machine especially with small compartments for the different cups and sized dishes. Those compartments were inside a wheel which was a copper boiler. A motor turned the wheel with hot soapy water coming up from the bottom of the boiler and then down on the dishes.

Her friends soon requested a similar machine which was called "Cochran Dishwasher". Josephine received a patent for the machine and started full manufacturing of the dishwashing machine under the name Cochran's Crescent Washing Machine Company. The company eventually became Kitchen Aid Company.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7NB-4PP : 8 March 2018), Josephine G. Cochrane, 03 Aug 1913; citing , Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference cn 3142, record number 81, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,678.
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #9492569
3. ↑ https://shelby.illinoisgenweb.org/deaths1877c.htm
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6WX-4RL : 12 April 2016), Wm Cochran, Illinois, United States; citing p. 1, family 3, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,776.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXKV-2GM : 20 August 2017), Josephene M Cochran in household of William A Cochran, Shelbyville, Shelby, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 200, sheet 281B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0251; FHL microfilm 1,254,251.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQV-P5Q : accessed 29 April 2018), Josephine Cochrane, Precinct 12 Jefferson Township Chicago city Ward 27, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 829, sheet 10B, family 152, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,278.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKZK-SB9 : accessed 29 April 2018), Minnie Garis in household of Josephine Cockran, Chicago Ward 25, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1040, sheet 17A, family 37, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 267; FHL microfilm 1,374,280.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #70857729

• Wikipedia contributors, "Josephine Cochrane," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josephine_Cochrane&oldid=716887042 (accessed April 25, 2016).
• "Top 10 Inventions by Women That Changed the World." MsMojo. 14 June 2016. YouTube (Web) 15 June 2016

See also:

• This WikiTree profile is referenced from WikiData: Q21901 Wikidata Information Reasonator enwiki Ancestors (about wikidata)

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