We all know that Washington is responsible for some of the top companies in the nation and the world’s most addictive cinnamon rolls. But as it turns out, the Evergreen State has been the birthplace of all kinds of ideas and inventions. If you’ve ever enjoyed any of these things, you can thank a Washingtonian.
- Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Marie / Flickr These delicious onions were actually brought to Washington in seed form by a French soldier named Peter Pieri. But it was Walla Walla Valley farmers who perfected them. Now, to qualify as a Walla Walla Sweet, the onions must be grown in the Pacific Northwest, must be 95 percent water, and must be harvested by hand.
- The backpack
slgckgc / Flickr Washingtonian Lloyd Nelson invented the backpack in the 1920s after a rather painful hike made him realize there had to be a better way to carry his things. He sold the patent to Trager Manufacturing, and the rest is history.
- Almond Roca
Ariel Chang / Flickr We owe this tasty recipe to Brown & Haley, a candy maker in Tacoma that was founded in 1912. Almond Roca can now be found in 63 countries, but it’s still made in its original factory.
- Vinyl records
Amy Carter / Flickr The inventor of the vinyl record, Waldo Semon, wasn’t born in Washington… but he did learn everything he knew at the University of Washington, including how to create this classic treasure.
- Water skis
Henry / Flickr Clearly, the concept of water skis was on many people’s minds — they have been officially invented by three different people. Washingtonian Don Ibsen is credited with being one of those innovators, building his first water skis out of two slabs of cedar in the early 1930s.
- Dick and Jane books
Darien LibraryFollow / Flickr It took longtime Seattle resident Elizabeth Montgomery seven years to get these beloved elementary school-aged readers published. And now, the books are classic treasures.
- The automatic car wash
Aaron Hockley / Flickr We’ve all seen the pink signs for the Elephant Car Wash in Seattle. Believe it or not, this was the first fully automated car wash in the United States.
- Modern kidney dialysis machines
Wikipedia When a high school student named Caroline Helm was denied access to a kidney dialysis machine, a team of doctors asked Albert Babb to design a portable dialysis machine Caroline could use at home. The resulting prototype became the basis for machines that now treat around 750,000 people worldwide.
- Pickleball
Darryl Kenyon / Flickr Pickleball was invented on a warm summer day in 1965 by Washington Congressman Joel Pritchard and friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. When they couldn’t find everything they needed to play badminton, they improvised and invented a new game entirely.
- Redbox
Paul Swansen / Flickr Ah, the excitement of finding a Redbox machine and discovering the film you’ve been dying to see is actually available. Redbox was invented here in Washington in 2002, and there are now more than 36,000 locations.
Did any of these surprise you? Washington clearly has some entrepreneurial geniuses.
Marie / Flickr
These delicious onions were actually brought to Washington in seed form by a French soldier named Peter Pieri. But it was Walla Walla Valley farmers who perfected them. Now, to qualify as a Walla Walla Sweet, the onions must be grown in the Pacific Northwest, must be 95 percent water, and must be harvested by hand.
slgckgc / Flickr
Washingtonian Lloyd Nelson invented the backpack in the 1920s after a rather painful hike made him realize there had to be a better way to carry his things. He sold the patent to Trager Manufacturing, and the rest is history.
Ariel Chang / Flickr
We owe this tasty recipe to Brown & Haley, a candy maker in Tacoma that was founded in 1912. Almond Roca can now be found in 63 countries, but it’s still made in its original factory.
Amy Carter / Flickr
The inventor of the vinyl record, Waldo Semon, wasn’t born in Washington… but he did learn everything he knew at the University of Washington, including how to create this classic treasure.
Henry / Flickr
Clearly, the concept of water skis was on many people’s minds — they have been officially invented by three different people. Washingtonian Don Ibsen is credited with being one of those innovators, building his first water skis out of two slabs of cedar in the early 1930s.
Darien LibraryFollow / Flickr
It took longtime Seattle resident Elizabeth Montgomery seven years to get these beloved elementary school-aged readers published. And now, the books are classic treasures.
Aaron Hockley / Flickr
We’ve all seen the pink signs for the Elephant Car Wash in Seattle. Believe it or not, this was the first fully automated car wash in the United States.
Wikipedia
When a high school student named Caroline Helm was denied access to a kidney dialysis machine, a team of doctors asked Albert Babb to design a portable dialysis machine Caroline could use at home. The resulting prototype became the basis for machines that now treat around 750,000 people worldwide.
Darryl Kenyon / Flickr
Pickleball was invented on a warm summer day in 1965 by Washington Congressman Joel Pritchard and friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. When they couldn’t find everything they needed to play badminton, they improvised and invented a new game entirely.
Paul Swansen / Flickr
Ah, the excitement of finding a Redbox machine and discovering the film you’ve been dying to see is actually available. Redbox was invented here in Washington in 2002, and there are now more than 36,000 locations.
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