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Annual Sliced Bread Saturday | Sliced Bread Mural | Patent Info | Sliced Bread Photos | Original BreadFest Unless otherwise noted, articles were written and published by the Chillicothe Constitution Tribune.
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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.
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.
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 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 C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley
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
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 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.
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 we¹re 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 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.  Return to Top Close This Window Print This Window |
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City Adopting Official Slogan: The Home of Sliced Bread 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 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 C-T File Photo
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
Joey
Logano - The Return of ''Sliced Bread' 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"? 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? 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? copyright 2008 Joe Gibbs Racing
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Home of Sliced Bread Meets Up With Race Car Driving Sensation Joey
'Sliced Bread' Logano
C-T/Submitted Photo Chillicothe continues to get recognition as the "home of sliced bread" and one of the latest promotions, albeit purely coincidental, is being generated through race car driving sensation Joey "Sliced Bread" Logano. Logano, 18, of Middletown, Conn., has been racing for 13 years and this past summer was named the driver to succeed two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart behind the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota beginning in 2009. He already has begun appearing in TV ads for Home Depot as the new NASCAR driver. Because of his quick vault to the top ranks of racing Logano has been tagged as the greatest thing since sliced bread - the universal benchmark invention often used to promote anything new. And, since sliced bread made its world debut in Chillicothe, Mo., with the Rohwedder Bread Slicing machine in 1928, folks here are hoping to establish a long-term relationship with Logano. And, Logano, appears receptive to the idea. Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Murray, who is an avid NASCAR fan, was surfing the internet a few months ago and stumbled across an article that kept mentioning new NASCAR driver Joey Logano as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Efforts were made over the course of several weeks by the Greater Chillicothe Visitors Region to contact Logano before his Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup weekend which Murray and his wife, Shanna, had planned to attend. Just days before the race, Logano's mother, Deborah, who is also Logano's manager, contacted the local visitors region. "She thought it was great that we would think about him," said Amy Supple, region director. "We think it is great that Joey is Sliced Bread. This creates a cross-promotional opportunity." Logano's mother provided pit passes on race day and arranged for the Murrays to meet Logano. They presented him with a Chillicothe: Home of Sliced Bread gift basket full of various items, including an engraved bread knife, a scented candle, and a wall hanging. In a letter addressed to the Murrays and the citizens of Chillicothe following his race, Logano expressed appreciation for the gifts. "I would like to thank you all for the kind gift in recognition of my nickname, "Sliced Bread," Logano wrote. "I can’t wait to come out and see the actual home of sliced bread and learn about the history behind it." "It is funny because I never imagined my nickname to stick; it was just supposed to be a nickname around my friends and me. I had never imagined it would have reached out to a small town in Missouri. I just think that is incredible." Already, plans are being made for Logano to visit Chillicothe in fall 2009, according to Supple.
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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."
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."
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.
substantiate the claim that Chillicothe was the first place in the world to commercially sell sliced bread to the public.
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."
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.
"Enter
the world of Sliced Bread" - this is the title of Joey Logano's home
page on his web site, 
CAPTION: Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Murray, left, with race car driver Joey
"Sliced Bread" Logano, and Logano's mother, Deborah. Because of his quick vault to the top ranks of racing, Logano has been tagged the greatest thing since sliced bread
- the universal benchmark invention often used to promote anything new. And, since sliced bread made its world debut in Chillicothe, Mo., in 1928, folks here hope to establish a long-term relationship with
Logano.