Industrial Research Labs Flourish

Industrial Research Laboratories like General Electric grew and flourished in the worlds of new science, like electricity and electronics, photography, petroleum, rubber and glass and synthetics.  DuPont Laboratories appeared in 1911 and in 1912, George Eastman founded the Kodak Research Laboratory.  United States Rubber Company followed in 1913, Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1919, and the Bell Telephone Company in 1925.  By mid-century the nation had 200 large industrial research laboratories.  Some laboratories began branching out and making seeming irrelevant discoveries such as Kodak finding that concentrated Vitamin A could be distilled from fish-liver oil, or United States Rubber discovering latex threads, latex textiles, latex insulated wire, new adhesives and paper.

Besides industrial laboratories there were also governmental laboratories pioneered by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce, established by the Bureau of Standards.  In 1930 scientific research costs by the federal government far exceeded those of private industrial labs, but by World War II it topped $750 million.   After World War II continuing research in atomic energy, aircraft development, and space exploration, kept the research costs in government rising each decade.

The Mellon Institute, founded by the University of Pittsburgh in 1913, offered industrial firms the opportunity to finance a researcher and claim any discoveries made by researcher to their firm.  The Battelle Memorial Institute, founded in 1929 from iron and steel money, vowed to make education and inventions for industry its focus.  One of those discoveries was Xerox in its early stages.  

The trade associations opened their own research labs beginning with National Canners in 1913 and followed by companies like National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association, The Institute of Paper Chemistry, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Textile Research Institute.  These are just a few of the many labs that supported industrial research for public relations purposes.

Next time...The Pioneer in Private Consulting Laboratory

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Today in Pioneer History: "On May 28, 1937, the government of Germany under the control of Adolf Hitler form a state owned automobile company, then known as Gesellshaft zur Verbereitung des  Deutschen Volkswagens mbH.  Later that year it was renamed simply, Volkswagen, or "The People's Car."  The "Beetle" as Volkswagen is affectionately called by owners, has remained relatively unchanged since 1935.  After nearly 70 years and more than 21 million cars produced, the last original "bug" rolled off the line in Puebla, Mexico on July 20, 2003."   

Making a Living the Hard Way

Pioneers for the most part were self-sufficient, but there were needs which required money.

Industry was a sunup to sundown venture.  Hunting, fishing, petty trading, and harvesting nature's fruits was possible to survive on,  but most pioneers considered this hand-to-mouth existence from year to year as unacceptable.  Those who wanted to gain a measure of wealth and status for the family, had to be prepared to work, plan, economize, and sacrifice.  

Forests had to be felled, great logs rolled together and burned, crops of maize, tobacco, oats and cane had to be planted, cultivated and harvested.  Livestock had to be housed and fed.  Fences and barns had to be built.  Pork, beef, grain and whiskey had to be prepared for market, and carried over miles for shipment. All these tasks had to be done in difficult conditions.  Any night his home might be raided by Indians who would carry off part of his livestock or burn down his barn.

Sickness was also a terror, isolated in times of emergency with no doctor without a hundred miles.  A falling tress, a wild beast attack, a poisonous snake bite, an accidental gun shot, or even a tomahawk injury, were all very real situations in this hostile land.  Without medical attention, death was certain.  Weather related illnesses were very common - constantly wet and damp conditions led to widespread rheumatism.  Malaria and fever (ague) on homesteads in the bottom lands took many lives that today we would wonder how they could die from something so simple.  Land clearing and home building prematurely aged and broke the pioneer, making they more vulnerable to illness and disease.

The frontier man's best friend was his trusty rifle and one was found in every cabin over the fireplace in easy reach.  He defended his home, crops, livestock. as well as waged warfare on Indian attacks, and hunted game with his rifle.  He was a poor marksmen who could not shoot running deer or elk at a distance of 150 yards, or kill ducks and geese "on the wing."  Boys of 12 years old knew how to shoot and provide supper.  

Life on the frontier was full of hard work, danger and anxiety.

Next time...Enjoying pioneer life

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Today in Pioneer History:  "On April 18, 1906, the Great San Francisco earthquake begins to shake the city in the early morning hours.  It was powerful enough to be recorded as far away as Cape Town, South Africa.  Fires swept the city after the shocks subsided and when it was all over, 28,000 buildings burned down, 700 people died and $500 million dollars in damage was done."