Last week's announcement that UW-Madison scientists had invented a way to convert regular skin cells into embryonic stem cells was only the latest in a long series of Wisconsin inventions.

The electric blender, snowmobile, lie detector, typewriter, twine binder, outboard motor and blow dryer all originated here, along with roll film for cameras, malted milk, Colby and brick cheeses, and, of course, the Cheesehead. The first electricity ever to light a home came from a tiny hydroelectric plant engineered in Appleton in 1882.

Of course, every inventor was not successful. Howard Harbaugh (1862-1930), of Kenosha, created hundreds of machines used in factories but was never successful in collecting royalties on any of them. On April 24, 1930, sick, grieving for a deceased son and denied fame, profit, or peace, the neglected inventor went to his garage and contrived one last device from pulleys, straps and a 12-gauge shotgun. It worked.

Perhaps the most important Wisconsin invention was the humble butterfat tester created in 1890 by Stephen M. Babcock (1843-1931). By treating raw milk with sulphuric acid, warming it and spinning it in a centrifuge, Babcock was able to accurately measure its fat content.

Thousand of dairies all across America quickly wanted his butterfat testers in order to produce milk of consistent quality. Without it, we'd have no skim or 2 percent milk today.

Babcock refused to patent the butterfat tester or to gain personally from any of his other inventions. He simply gave them away to benefit humanity and was said to be happiest when watching Badgers sports from a bleacher seat.

-- Wisconsin Historical Society
www.wisconsinhistory.org

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