13 Awesome Inventions You Probably Didn’t Know Came From Tennessee
13) If you're a fan of the calming, solo grocery shopping trip then you can thank Memphis. The Piggly-Wiggly was founded in 1916 and was the first self-service grocery store in the nation.
12) Those summer bbq's just wouldn't be the same without baked beans, and the Bush's brand has been going strong since it's start in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee.
11) The Goo-Goo Cluster is the first combination candy bar, and it was created in 1912 right in the heart of Nashville. If you like candy bars with a bit of crunch and chew, then you have this mouthwatering dessert pioneer to thank.
10) The Moon Pie was created in Chattanooga in the year 1917, a dessert made in response to the needs of local coal miners. The state even has Moon Pie festivals in the summer as a nod to their sweet heritage.
9) Tow trucks have turned out to be the saving grace for any of us that have blown a tire or run out of gas. The towing industry began in Chattanooga in 1916 and has gone on to help the masses keep their sanity ever since.
8) The Manhattan Project was based in Oak Ridge, TN, and was the top secret government research project that resulted in the research and production of atomic bombs, a method of weaponry that was historically used to end World War II.
6) Chattanooga is the home to the first Krystal Hamburger restaurant, born in response to the painful reality of the Great Depression. It is now known as the oldest hamburger chain in the South.
5) Originally penned as, "Fairy Floss," cotton candy was born in Nashville in the late nineteenth century. It debuted to massive aplomb at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 and has since become an amusement park staple.
4) Although we may not use the typewriter anymore, the game changing ink ribbon was patented in Memphis in 1886. George K. Anderson coined the term, 'type-writer' as well and tossed the world into a place of duly typed lists and stories.
3) 1896 was a good year, because in Pittsburg, TN Lodge Manufacturing was born. As one of the oldest cookware companies in America, you most likely have a cast iron skillet with their name on it hanging out in your cupboard right now.
2) Elographics, Inc. is based in Oak Ridge, TN and was influential in the invention of the touchscreen. Your smartphones and tablets have Tennessee to thank, now don't they?
1) If you've ever checked into a DoubleTree by Hilton Inn, then chances are you've had a Christie Cookie. The baking recipe has been kept secret since 1995, the company being based in north Nashville.
Did you know that those chewy chocolate chip cookies hail from Nashville? Or that your favorite baked beans were concocted in the heart of Tennessee? Tell us what surprised you most in the comments below!
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Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
