The turn of the century would not prove to be a prosperous era for the newly renamed American Wringer Company. The invention of the electric washing machine was the death knell for the wringer’s popularity. By 1940, 60% of all homes in the US were outfitted with the modern convenience.
With its signature products no longer a "must have" for the home, American Wringer adjusted its product line to include large industrial wringers and reduced its overall production. This strategy allowed the company to survive until 1953, when it was sold to the company it had created nearly 100 year earlier, Woonsocket Rubber.
<i>Images courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society (A) and the Woonsocket Historical Society (B & C)</i>
Hotspot Type
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On
Mill Location
map
Era Name
Era 3: 1900-1949