August 2022
To keep the business afloat during World War I, Upton Machine Co. purchased American Tool Company, a manufacturer of toy popguns, cork guns and air rifles, and the Stopple Kook […]
By the mid-1920s, Upton Machine Co. needed to expand east to support its partnership with Sears. In 1929, the company merged with the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company from Binghamton, New […]
Before television, how did consumers see products in action? Mainly through demonstrations and showrooms such as this Upton portable display room. By 1916, potential consumers could find Upton washers in […]
Benton Harbor, Michigan, the home of Lou’s uncle Emory, was the logical place for Upton Machine Co.’s headquarters. Today, Whirlpool continues to honor its deep roots in Benton Harbor and […]
Upton Machine Co. snagged a critical first customer—the Federal Electric division of Commonwealth Edison—but the company wasn’t on the road to success quite yet. Every washing machine in Federal Electric’s […]
Lou’s brother Fred and uncle Emory were a vital part of Whirlpool Corp.’s journey to success. Fred was one of the company’s first employees, delivering and repairing washers and forging […]
In 1911, the Upton Machine Company was founded. It went full-bore into manufacturing electric washing machines. The design of the electric washer evolved over the next 20 years, but Upton’s […]
By the time Lou Upton was 22 years old, he had put his entire life savings—$500—into a promising business venture. But it failed, and he walked away with nothing except […]