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Racine Wisconsin--one of America’s most inventive towns since the 1840s

KCBX | By Tom Wilmer
Published February 17, 2018 at 4:07 AM PST
S.C. Johnson & Son Research tower built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951
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S.C. Johnson & Son Research tower built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951
Thomas Wilmer
Gasoline powered tractor introduced by Case in Racine in 1892
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Gasoline powered tractor introduced by Case in Racine in 1892
Case
Racine's old Carnegie Library now houses the Racine Heritage Museum
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Racine's old Carnegie Library now houses the Racine Heritage Museum
Thoms Wilmer
Monument to local Civil War soldiers in downtown Racine
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Monument to local Civil War soldiers in downtown Racine
Thomas Wilmer
Historic archecture abounds in downtown Racine
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Historic archecture abounds in downtown Racine
Tom Wilmer
One of Frank Lloyd Wright's legacies in Racine--the USONIAN homes designed to ne affordablle for regular folk
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One of Frank Lloyd Wright's legacies in Racine--the USONIAN homes designed to ne affordablle for regular folk

Racine's Heritage Museum abounds with local artifacts
Credit Thomas Wilmer
Racine's Heritage Museum abounds with local artifacts

   Racine Wisconsin has been home to many iconic American manufacturers since the Civil War. 

Case New Holland has been based in Racine since the 1840s. Racine is home to Oster, Hamilton-Beach, and Massey Ferguson.

Malted milk was birthed here in 1887. The garbage disposal was invented here in 1927--and it remains as the home of Insinkerator today.

S.C. Johnson, an integral part of Racine since 1886, produces Raid, Glade, Johnson Wax, and Windex and a litany of cleaning products.

Join Chris Paulson, Racine Heritage Museum’s Executive Director as he shares tales of Racine’s incredible history. 

Racine Heritage Museum Logo
Credit Racine Heritage Museum
Racine Heritage Museum Logo

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Culture Editor @360magazine

Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer winner of the Lowell Thomas Award 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013
Credit SATW Foundation
Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer winner of the Lowell Thomas Award 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013
Tags
Travel WisconsinNPR OneWisconsin TourismRacine Wisconsin
Tom Wilmer
Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.
See stories by Tom Wilmer
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