The Auto Wash Bowl: An Early 1920s Car Wash Innovation in Chicago
By
thunderbong
Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked to perfection. Worth every minute at the bakery.
Summary
The article describes an early 20th century car wash innovation called the Auto Wash Bowl, which originated in St. Paul, Minnesota in the 1920s. Invented by C.P. Bohland and patented in 1921, this circular car wash was designed to clean mud from the underside of vehicles during an era when roads were often unpaved and muddy. The article specifically mentions a location at the northwest corner of 42nd Street and South Michigan Avenue in Chicago in 1924, noting there was at least one other Auto Wash Bowl in Chicago. The concept represented an innovative solution to the practical problem of keeping early automobiles clean on primitive roads.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledHere's a photo from 1924 and shows a newfangled type of car wash that stood at the northwest corner of 42nd Street and South Michigan Avenue.
The concept actually originated in St. Paul, Minn. It was patented in 1921 by inventor C.P. Bohland, who opened two locations in St. Paul.
He devised the bowl as an easy way to clean mud off of the underside of cars.
Back in this early age of motoring, roads were often unpaved and muddy, and that mud would get caked on the underside of the car and the wheels.
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