407floyd
Well-known member
Today’s lesson: “The Corn Palace Folly” and “Fiberglass”
In 1887, the people of Sioux City, Iowa decided to build a palace completely covered with corn and corn parts, everything corn. The first year was such a hit, they built it even bigger the following year resulting in hand-over-fist profits again (and my coin). Everybody in town contributed to the effort. Every year it got bigger and more elaborate! It got so big, they had add more acreage to fit the gargantuan structure on. Then, after a few short years, the weather turned bad and nobody showed up for the most over-the-top palace yet. They didn’t even make enough money to afford to tear it. It turned into a giant rat’s nest and that was the end of the Corn Palace.
Fiberglass was first mass-produced in the 1930s by Owens Corning. Originally called “Fiberglas”. To transport the glass needed to make their product, railroad cars were filled with rudimentary marble-sized glass balls that were easy to move around. Frequently these balls would fall onto the railroad ballast, leaving a trail to the all the way to the fiberglass plant. These lost balls were known as “railroad marbles” to those who found them. They are blueish green and have wrinkles just like the 3 in my pic.
I hope this enlightens you as much as it did me!
In 1887, the people of Sioux City, Iowa decided to build a palace completely covered with corn and corn parts, everything corn. The first year was such a hit, they built it even bigger the following year resulting in hand-over-fist profits again (and my coin). Everybody in town contributed to the effort. Every year it got bigger and more elaborate! It got so big, they had add more acreage to fit the gargantuan structure on. Then, after a few short years, the weather turned bad and nobody showed up for the most over-the-top palace yet. They didn’t even make enough money to afford to tear it. It turned into a giant rat’s nest and that was the end of the Corn Palace.
Fiberglass was first mass-produced in the 1930s by Owens Corning. Originally called “Fiberglas”. To transport the glass needed to make their product, railroad cars were filled with rudimentary marble-sized glass balls that were easy to move around. Frequently these balls would fall onto the railroad ballast, leaving a trail to the all the way to the fiberglass plant. These lost balls were known as “railroad marbles” to those who found them. They are blueish green and have wrinkles just like the 3 in my pic.
I hope this enlightens you as much as it did me!
