Main Street History: Stillwater, The Birthplace Of The Pop-Up Toaster

STILLWATER, MN — You've likely heard before that Stillwater is the "birthplace of Minnesota." On Aug. 26, 1848, Stillwater hosted a convention that paved the way for Minnesota's territorial status and eventual statehood.

But you may not have known that Stillwater is the birthplace of the pop-up toaster. It's true.

Charles P. Strite, a Minneapolis resident, invented the product in 1919 while working at a manufacturing plant in Stillwater, according to Hennepin History.

Genius struck Strite when he grew tired of the manufacturing plant's cafeteria always serving toast that was burnt to a crisp. So he created the "Toastmaster," a device that cooked both sides of a slice of bread but also had a spring to eject the toast when a built-in timer went off.

Strite successfully patented the invention in 1921, and restaurants started buying them up right away from his new company, Waters Genter, notes the Walker Art Center.

He put a consumer version out on the market in 1926 that had a variable timer to change how light or dark one wanted the toast to be.

Strite built his invention to last. More than 100 years later, the modern toaster hasn't changed all that much from its original design.

What's your favorite thing about Stillwater? Let us know below in the comments!

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