Chillicothe's Slice of History

Sliced bread began here in 1928

By Jim McCarty, Rural Missouri

September 2006 Most people have said it, "That's the greatest thing since sliced bread." Now residents of Chillicothe hope anyone making such a comparison will think of the north-central Missouri town. It was here, on July 6,1928, that the world was first introduced to sliced bread. "Just think of it! Every slice perfect and CORRECT, far better than you could cut it yourself," boasted M.F. "Frank" Bench, owner of the Chillicothe Baking Co., in an advertisement for his Kleen Maid Sliced Bread that ran in the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune on that date. "There was a time when you ground coffee. Now you buy it ground. Well, this is the same sort of sensible, logical improvement. " This little slice of history was almost forgotten. If it weren't for the efforts of the paper's news editor, Catherine Stortz Ripley, it's unlikely anyone would remember Bench and his friend Otto Rohwedder, who came up with the idea for the first practical bread-slicing machine. Rohwedder pitched his idea allover the country but most bakers believed the buying public would not be interested in sliced bread. They thought it would quickly lose its freshness and dry out. But Bench, who some sources say was nearly bankrupt and had nothing to lose, quickly grasped the concept. Since the beginning of civilization, bread was made in loaves that had to be cut to size by hand. Even in the most skilled hands, the bread knife could never produce evenly sliced bread. But efforts to mechanize the process resulted in squashed slices. Rohwedder's machine did the job with multiple knives that sliced from the top and the bottom at the same time. The Chillicothe paper described how the machine worked, no doubt rewarding the baker for his paid advertisement: "There is no crumbing and no crushing of the loaf and the result is such that the housewife can well experience the thrill of pleasure with each slice the exact counterpart of its fellows. So neat and precise are the slices, and so definitely better than anyone could possibly slice by hand with a bread knife that one realizes instantly that here is a refinement that will receive a hearty and permanent welcome." Two metal pins inserted at each end held the loaf together while it was wrapped in paper. When the housewife was ready to use the bread, the wrapper was opened and one pin taken out. Enough slices for the meal were removed and the wrapper was folded closed. But would the loaf remain fresh? "Mr. Bench informs us that exhaustive tests have established the fact of the bread being sliced makes no difference in its ability to retain its fresh quality. So perfect is the slicing and so well is the loaf held together that there is appreciably no more moisture escaping from between the slices than escapes through the pores of the uncut crust," read the paper�s story. Bench offered a money-back guarantee to any of his customers who weren�t satisfied, saying, "We are selling Kleen Maid Bread as a favor to you. It must satisfy you. " Photo, M.F. "Frank" Bench The story might have been lost forever without the efforts of Ripley, who in 2001 published "Dateline - Livingston County," a collection of historic articles from newspapers. For months she scrolled through micro-film archives, searching for interesting events to include in the book. One item that barely caught her eye was the story of sliced bread that ran under a tiny headline: "Sliced Bread is Made Here. Chillicothe Baking Co. the First Bakers in the World to Sell This Product to the Public." "It would have been so easy to miss," says Ripley of the sliced bread story. "I sat at that microfilm machine for hours and hours and months and months. How horrible it would have been if I had missed it. I had been in town 10 years and no one had mentioned it." Greater Chillicothe Visitor's Region Director Amy Supple had heard the story. "But it was something that couldn�t be authenticated," she says. "There were several other cities claiming that." Sometimes history hinges on the smallest events. When Ripley published the story as a teaser to sell books, it prompted a follow-up by a reporter from The Kansas City Star. His story went international and the phones at the Constitution-Tribune lit up like a Christmas tree. "I got the calls because I was quoted in the story," Ripley recalls. "All I knew was what I read, period. I knew nothing else." Through all the publicity, the rest of the story became known. That happened when Ripley received a letter from a man whose company once employed Otto Rohwedder's son, Richard. The writer got her in touch with the inventor's son, who held the first loaf of bread sliced by his father's machine in Chillicothe. The inventor's son agreed to come to Chillicothe in 2003, armed with his father�s scrapbook. He let Ripley copy everything. "The scrapbook was amazing," Ripley says. "The most treasured part was the orders, lists of all the bakeries he was selling his bread slicers to. This validates our claim - July 1,1928. There is nothing before that." Photo, Otto Rohwedder Ripley also got in touch with the Smithsonian Institution, which filled in another piece of the puzzle, namely what happened to the first machine. That one was scrapped when it literally fell to pieces after years of use. The second machine sold by Rohwedder is owned by the Smithsonian, which also confirmed Chillicothe's place in history. This town of movers and shakers quickly recognized that the story was big news. "We got to thinking about it and our thoughts were this: We've really got something here," says Ed Douglas, a local banker and chairman of the city's Sliced Bread Committee. "There are crazy things that bring people into a town. We thought this was a very legitimate thing and we ought to tell our story." The city council adopted "Home of Sliced Bread" as the town's new slogan. A contest was held to design a logo. A local artist was hired to put the logo on a mural. In 2005, the town hosted the first bread-baking contest, to be held each September. "Looking back, it was our audience telling us this was important," says Supple. "If people from out of town and out of state were interested, that's my customer. We might have said, 'Oh yeah, home of sliced bread' and rolled our eyes kind of like everyone does with quirky things in their hometown." Instead Chillicothe has rallied 'round the sliced bread concept, even giving out candles that smell like baking bread. In the future, the city hopes to build a visitor's center that will include the Smithsonian's bread slicer and other displays that tell about the town's slice of history, a history that was nearly forgotten. "We hope people think of us as the greatest town since sliced bread," Supple says. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution, NMAH/Work & Industry CAPTION: This photo shows Otto Rohwedder's bread slicing machine installed at the Chillicothe Baking Co. His invention was treated with skepticism until he called on M. F. Bench, who recognized the machine's potential. Bench first announced his Kleen Maid sliced bread to the public on July 6, 1928, and offered it for sale the next day.

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Marker Placed at Home of Sliced Bread

Tells how baker introduced new invention to world

Published: January 30, 2007, C-T C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

(Click on photo for a closer view) CAPTION: A marker erected Friday identifies the red brick building at 100 Elm Street as the former site of Chillicothe Baking Company. The bakery was owned by Frank Bench and it was here where commercially sliced bread was introduced to the world in 1928, thanks to the invention of Iowa native Otto Rohwedder. Sliced bread was such a success that Bench's bread sales increased by 2,000 percent in two weeks and the Rohwedder bread slicer soon was in great demand. In the background, Channel 9 cameraman Mark Midgorden films Matt Hopper installing a plaque on the side of the building. Chillicothe is expected to be featured in an upcoming segment during the 10 o�clock news, called "Did You Know". The Chillicothe building where Otto F. Rohwedder's bread slicing machine in 1928 revolutionized the way consumers bought bread worldwide is now formally identified for its role in history. A marker was erected Friday afternoon in front of what was M.F. (Frank) Bench's Chillicothe Baking Company at the northwest corner of First and Elm streets in Chillicothe. The marker tells the story how on July 7, 1928, Bench and inventor Rohwedder secured Chillicothe's slice of history. It was on this day that Rohwedder's bread slicing machine produced the first loaves of sliced bread and made them available on the shelves of Chillicothe grocery stores. The machine instantly changed the way consumers bought bread and increased the bakery's sales by 2,000 percent within two weeks. Until his invention, which has long been synonymous with innovation, bread had to be sliced by hand and in home kitchens. The massive unit, approximately five feet long and three feet high, was an invention of Iowa native Otto F. Rohwedder. The original machine that was used in Chillicothe was destroyed. However, Rohwedder's second machine is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institute. The building which housed Chillicothe Baking Company still stands to this day and is owned and occupied by SMC Electric Supply. Although that historic day occurred nearly 80 years ago, it wasn't until 2001 that a newspaper clipping of that event was discovered. In the two years that followed, additional documentation was found to substantiate the claim that Chillicothe was the first place in the world to commercially sell sliced bread to the public. Ed Douglas, chairman of the Sliced Bread Committee which formed several years ago to promote Chillicothe as the Home of Sliced Bread, said the marker helps identify the place where it all began. "The marker is a terrific addition to the whole process of building upon the Home of Sliced Bread," Douglas said. "It marks the official site and people can come by and read about the history of sliced bread." In addition to the marker, a plaque was placed on the building's south exterior wall.

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Kansas City TV Crew Here to Film for Upcoming Segment

Published: January 30, 2007, C-T Chillicothe will again make news as the Home of Sliced Bread when a special feature airs on KMBC-TV Channel 9. News reporter Maria Antonia was in Chillicothe last Friday to interview individuals about Chillicothe's slice of history. The interviews took place at Grand River Historical Society Museum. Among those interviewed were Catherine Stortz Ripley, news editor of the Constitution-Tribune; Doris Packham, who recalled visiting Frank Bench's bakery; Ed Douglas, chairman of the Sliced Bread Committee; and Amy Supple, director of the Greater Chillicothe Visitor's Region. While in town, cameraman Mark Midgorden shot footage of the historical marker in front of the building which once housed the baking company, and the installation of a plaque on the exterior of the building. "I'm really pleased with their enthusiasm about the interviews, the placement of the marker, the exhibit at the museum and to hear about future plans," Douglas said about the news crew. "Doris, with her recollection of the bakery, added a nice touch to the story." The Chillicothe story will be shown in the newscast's feature, "Did You Know". Antonia said that the segment may run during the 10 p.m. newscast either the first or second Wednesday in February but it had not yet been scheduled. Douglas said he anticipates greater awareness of Chillicothe after the segment airs in the Kansas City market. "What's starting to happen is that we�re building momentum and people are starting to catch wind of the significance of being the home of sliced bread," Douglas said. "We are really pleased." Douglas also noted the coverage Chillicothe received when the Rural Missouri magazine featured Chillicothe as the Home of Sliced Bread on its cover and in a full-page article last fall. He added that efforts are continuing to obtain on a long-term loan the Rohwedder bread slicing machine which is now part of the Smithsonian Institute. CAPTION: Channel 9 news reporter Maria Antonia, right, interviews Doris Packham at the Grand River Historical Society Museum and asks about her memories of visiting Chillicothe Baking Company which was the first place in the world to commercially sell sliced bread. The interview will be part of the newscast's "Did You Know" feature and will focus on the Chillicothe being the home of sliced bread. C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

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Son of Sliced Bread Inventor Dies

Published: Tuesday, February 27, 2007, C-T Richard Otto Rohwedder, the Arkansas man who unlocked a door of Chillicothe's history four years ago by sharing memories and his father's files about a commercial bread-slicing machine, has died. He was 92. Rohwedder was the son of Otto Frederich Rohwedder, an Iowa native who invented the bread slicing machine. In 1928 the elder Rohwedder and his son came to Chillicothe to install the machine at Frank Bench's Chillicothe Baking Company, making Chillicothe the first place in the world to commercially sell sliced bread. Richard's place in local history is that he, at the age of 13, held the first loaf of bread to go through his father's bread slicing machine. Details of Chillicothe's role in history could have been lost forever had the younger Rohwedder not traveled to Chillicothe in 2003 to share his father's scrapbook with the Constitution-Tribune, according to News Editor Catherine Stortz Ripley. That scrapbook, filled with supporting documents and even an order log, validated the fact that Chillicothe was the first place in the world to commercially sell sliced bread.

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City Adopting Official Slogan: The Home of Sliced Bread

Published: Friday, September 14, 2007, C-T It's official. Chillicothe's new slogan is, officially, "The Home of Sliced Bread." City council members gave unanimous support to this proposal during their regular meeting Thursday night. Ed Douglas, chairman of the Sliced Bread Committee, said that the city has used other slogans through the years, including " In the Middle of It All," and "The City in the Country" but he asked city leaders on Thursday to make "The Home of Sliced Bread" the official city slogan. "The other slogans could be said about any number of communities," Douglas said. "The Home of Sliced Bread is unique to Chillicothe. " Douglas went on to explain that it was in Chillicothe where baker Frank Bench of Chillicothe Baking Company in 1928 introduced sliced bread to the buying public. Up until this time, nowhere else in the world had sliced bread been sold commercially. The bread slicing machine was invented by Otto Rohwedder, a friend of Bench. Practically all details of this little known fact were buried on microfilm until 2001 when the Constitution-Tribune was researching old newspapers for a history book. Through extensive research, the newspaper learned more details about the 1928 event and even met with the inventor's son who had documents of the first bread slicing machines that were sold - Chillicothe being the first - as well as articles from other sources, including old trade journals. Once these details were discovered, Douglas formed a Sliced Bread Committee to promote Chillicothe as the home of sliced bread. Douglas highlighted for council members a few of the projects which the committee has completed, including a mural dedicated to Chillicothe being the home of sliced bread, a marker at the original site of the bakery and the annual Home of Sliced Bread bread baking contests. He also noted some goals of the committee, including an interactive museum and possibly a giant loaf of bread as a roadside attraction.

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Chillicothe's Sliced Bread Story in 'Rural Missouri' Wins Writing Award

Published: Tuesday, October 2, 2007, C-T Chillicothe's story about sliced bread which appeared in the September 2006 edition of "Rural Missouri" has won accolades in a nationwide writing contest for rural electric statewide magazines. The article was written by Jim McCarty, the magazine's editor, who was in Chillicothe in the summer of 2006 and interviewed several people who had been involved with efforts in promoting Chillicothe as the Home of Sliced Bread. The interviews were coordinated through Steve Shoot, member services manager at Farmers' Electric Cooperative in Chillicothe. The Chillicothe article won in the historic feature category. That month's cover featured a full page, full color photograph of local artist Kelly Poling painting a mural which is known as the Sliced Bread Mural.

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'Father of Sliced Bread' Being Named to Baking Hall of Fame

Published: Friday, February 8, 2008 by CATHERINE STORTZ RIPLEY, C-T News Editor Otto Rohwedder, inventor of the world's first bread slicing machine put to use in Chillicothe in 1928, will be inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame next month. The Baking Hall of Fame, located at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan., is an initiative of the American Society of Baking to recognize industry innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. After spending years trying to convince bakers nationwide that Mrs. Housewife wanted sliced bread, finally, in 1928 Rohwedder sold his first bread slicing machine to M.F. "Frank" Bench, of Chillicothe Baking Company. Rohwedder had overcome many obstacles throughout the development process. In 1915 his doctor told him to stop working because he had only a year to live. Despite this grim prediction, Rohwedder did not give up his efforts on a bread slicing machine. A significant setback, however, came in 1918 when a fire totally destroyed the factory that was just about to manufacture his bread slicer. Lost in the blaze were the blueprints to his machine. Still, Rohwedder remained steadfast in his belief that sliced bread was what America wanted. And finally, in 1928, his machine made its debut in Chillicothe. Once introduced, bread sales at Chillicothe Baking Company sky-rocketed and the Rohwedder bread slicer was in high demand. Rohwedder will be just the fifth inductee for his contribution in equipment manufacturing. "His invention was probably the most significant invention that supported the commercial development of baking," said Thom Kuk, president and CEO for the American Society of Baking. "He gave the American consumer a whole different practical use for bread. " Candidates for the Baking Hall of Fame can be nominated by any individual or organization that has an interest or relationship to baking. Rohwedder's nomination came from a society member Steve Wright, president of Hansloy Corp., of Bettendorf, Iowa. The Hansloy Corp. manufactures bread knives and slicers for commercial use - an industry which benefits from the technology Rohwedder created. Kuk said that many of the society's members don't know the history of the bread slicer and this induction provides an opportunity to educate them. The hall of fame award was created in 2005 to recognize innovation and entrepreneurialism across the commercial baking industry. Nominations are reviewed by a 10-member committee based on the scope of recognition for which the nominee is known, their impact upon the industry and their level of professional achievement. The recommendations of the Baking Hall of Fame Advisory Committee are reviewed by the executive committee of the American Society of Baking which then elects a number of individuals each year based upon four general categories: baker, equipment manufacturing, ingredient technology and industry service.

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Sliced Bread Turns 80 Years Old; Its Birth was in Chillicothe in 1928

Published: Monday, July 7, 2008, C-T C-T File Photo CAPTION: Richard Rohwedder, son of bread slicing machine inventor Otto Rohwedder, held the key to unlock Chillicothe's slice of history and was more than willing to share his knowledge and documentation of his father's invention when he was invited to Chillicothe in August 2003. Richard�s first visit to Chillicothe was 80 years ago today - July 7, 1928 - when at the age of 13 he held the first loaf of bread to go through his father's bread slicing machine. During his 2003 visit Richard, then 88 years old and living in Arkansas, said that after the bread slicer made its debut in Chillicothe, "the world beat a path to my father's door. It was the fastest growing thing that you could possibly think of." Richard died in February 2007. Happy Birthday, Sliced Bread! Today - July 7, 2008 - marks the 80th anniversary of sliced bread. However, the anniversary of its natal day would have likely gone unnoticed had it not been for a series of coincidental events beginning with a newspaper assignment in 2001 and ending with an interview in 2003 of the man whose father invented the bread slicing machine. Richard Otto Rohwedder unlocked the door to Chillicothe�s slice of world history in 2003 when at the age of 88 he traveled from his home in Arkansas to Chillicothe to share his story with the Constitution-Tribune. In his possession was a scrapbook belonging to his father, Otto Rohwedder, which documented the story of sliced bread and how his father had invented the world's first bread slicing machine and how it was first put to use by Frank Bench at Chillicothe Baking Company on July 7, 1928. Since 2003, Chillicothe has become known as "the home of sliced bread" and the city of Chillicothe has even adopted it as its official slogan. The story began to develop in 2001 when Constitution-Tribune News Editor Catherine Stortz Ripley was doing research on microfilm for a history book and stumbled across an article printed on July 6, 1928, stating that Chillicothe Baking Company, the next day, would become the first place in the world to sell sliced bread. Then, in July 2003, the Kansas City Star published a front page article about Chillicothe�s claim and the story went international on the Knight Ridder News Service. With this exposure, Ripley learned about Richard Rohwedder through the efforts of Robert Ludlow, founder of Bedford Industries, in Worthington, Minn. Ludlow had seen the article online and was reminded of Rohwedder, who had once worked for Bedford Industries, the world's largest manufacturer of twist ties. Ripley immediately contacted Rohwedder who, within a few days, made arrangements to come to Chillicothe and share his story.

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Joey Logano, aka Sliced Bread

Summer/Fall, 2008 "Enter the world of Sliced Bread" - this is the title of Joey Logano's home page on his web site, www.joeylogano.com. Billed as the "future of NASCAR," in the September 25, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated, Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) was given the nickname, "Sliced Bread," by Randy LaJoie. For complete details, read the headline news' story below. To find out more about Joey and his racing schedule, accomplishments, online store, the 20 Team, message boards, and more, visit www.joeylogano.com or www.loganomotorsports.com. Joey Logano - The Return of ''Sliced Bread'

www.joegibbsracing.com/2008/news_nns/07_july/080715_jl_pre.php HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 15, 2008) - In July, 1928, Iowa inventor Otto Rohwedder made front-page news when he convinced the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri to start selling sliced bread using his new invention called the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. The saying, "The best thing since sliced bread," quickly followed and has been an expression used by advertisers for decades. Some 80 years later, "Sliced Bread" still happens to be grabbing plenty of headlines. This time, though, it has nothing to do with flour and yeast products, but rather the nickname given to 18-year-old NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie phenom Joey Logano. Logano, driver of the No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), hopes to continue making front-page news as he prepares to return from a three-race hiatus by competing in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. In just four Nationwide Series starts thus far, Logano has already racked up two poles, two top-five and three top-10 finishes, and he became the youngest winner in series history when he captured his first win June 14 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta exactly three weeks after his 18th birthday. With the win, Logano bested previous record-holder Casey Atwood, who drove to his first Nationwide Series victory at The Milwaukee Mile in 1999 at the age of 18 years, 10 months and nine days. While Logano has already broken one significant record this season, the native of Middletown, Conn., will hope to leave his mark by helping his JGR team set two more records this weekend. With teammate Kyle Busch capturing JGR's 13th Nationwide Series win last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., JGR now sits deadlocked with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) for most wins in a season by a single organization. Just last season, RCR�s Kevin Harvick (six wins), Jeff Burton (five wins) and Clint Bowyer (two wins) totaled 13 victories in the Nos. 21, 29 and 2 Nationwide Series entries. RCR's record-setting 13th win came in the season's 35th and final race at Homestead (Fla.) Miami Speedway with Burton in the No. 29. JGR's record-tying win came in just the 20th race of this year�s 35-race schedule. In addition to tying the organization record, JGR�s No. 20 GameStop team, led by crew chief Dave Rogers, has scored nine Nationwide Series victories this season - five by Tony Stewart, two by Denny Hamlin and one each by Busch and Logano. A 10th win by the No. 20 team Saturday night would equal a series-record first set 25 years ago for wins by a single car number. Sam Ard drove the No. 00 Oldsmobile for team owner Howard Thomas to 10 wins in 1983. In 2006, Kevin Harvick had nine wins and Jeff Burton one win in RCR's No. 21 Chevrolet to tie the mark. Harvick scored RCR's record-tying 10th win in that season�s 33rd of 35 Nationwide Series races at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Ard scored his original record-setting 10th victory in the 35th and final event of 1983 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. With 15 more chances to get the job done this season, starting Saturday night at a track that sits within a few hours' drive southeast of the real birthplace of sliced bread, Logano and the GameStop team looks to bring home another slice of history. Joey Logano, Driver, No. 20 GameStop NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry at Gateway International Raceway Q - How did you get the nickname "Sliced Bread"?

A - "It actually came from Randy LaJoie. I came walking in his shop one day and he said 'hey, Sliced Bread.' I asked him what that meant, and he said, 'You�re the best thing since sliced bread.' I said back to him, 'Whatever.' From there, we kind of joked about it forever and even made up a cartoon logo and it stuck. It's really funny. All my friends have nicknames, like Brandon McReynolds is called 'The Franchise,' and Cory LaJoie is called 'Super Shoe.' It started out as a funny nickname and somehow it stuck. " Q - The trend over the last few years has seen drivers getting younger and younger. You've been one of those young guys from the time you started racing up until now. How have you handled that?

A - "A lot of the guys start so young, now. I started when I was five or six years old. Back then, people didn't start racing until they were 16. I'm 18 and I've been racing for 12 years, now. I feel that's where it's different, but if you look at all sports, they're getting younger and younger. I don't want to say that it probably wouldn't hurt, but I feel I'm ready and I think when the team feels you're ready, they're not going to put you out there not ready because that's not helping me and it's not helping the team, and it's just not the right thing to do. When Joe Gibbs Racing says I'm ready, that's when I'm going to go. " Q - There's been a lot of attention and pressure put on you in just a short time this year. Have those expectations almost become normal for you?

A - "I think I'd feel weird without the pressure because I've kind of gotten used to it. And if I didn ' t have the pressure, I'd think something would be wrong. I'm 100 percent cool with it. I go out there expecting to win. I go out there expecting my team to expect to win. And that's what we're doing. I'm just one of those over-competitive freaks, I guess. I think that's what everyone is here for and that is what I want my team to be here for.� copyright 2008 Joe Gibbs Racing

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