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thinman_gw

Weekend Trivia: Sunday

thinman
10 years ago

Good morning, all. I'm going to get right to the trivia today, so I can get a good start on fishing this morning. We had some perch for dinner a couple of nights ago, and it was so good that I'm going back for more.

William ___________ Jr. came to Chicago with $32 and a talent for selling. His father in Philadelphia had a soap company so he started selling that. To increase sales, he got the idea to give away a can of baking powder with each box of soap. The baking powder proved to be more popular than the soap, so he started a baking powder company.

To increase sales of baking powder, he decided again to give away an extra product with each can of baking powder. This new give-away was so popular that he ditched the baking powder business and started a company to manufacture the new stuff. He hit it big with this one and made a fortune. His name is on a prominent structure in Chicago, and is so well known that if you heard his name, you would immediately think of the product and vice-versa.

Can you name the man and the product?

TM

This post was edited by thinman on Tue, Sep 10, 13 at 11:14

Comments (11)

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    10 years ago

    Good morning TM. This is the kind of question I love! I have no idea yet, but will put my little grey cells to work. You have given us so many ways to come at the question. Will be thinking and checking back for clues.

    Hope the fishing is fun!

    Cynthia

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    10 years ago

    Oh my!!! So many ideas, I need to really get my thinking cap on!!

    Nancy.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    10 years ago

    Hmmm, I don't know too much about Chicago. There are only two landmarks I can think of at this point and I am guessingSears isn't the answer! :) I may be totally out in left field, but the other is all I can think of at this point. I am trying to think if I ever heard this name connected to soap and baking soda-trying to picture images of vintage cans/boxes.

    Cynthia

  • thinman
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    William's product came in two flavors in 1893, followed by a third flavor in 1914. All three are still available and you would recognize their names instantly.

    TM

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    10 years ago

    I am having the worst day with this page!! I've been trying to post for almost an hour, and finally had to reboot.Sigh.

    Finally got my laundry on the line - cool, sunny, breezy day! Saw an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives the other day, the one restaurant they featured had several different kinds of Eggs Benny - one with crab cakes!! Well, no crab cakes here, but I made them this am anyways!! Yummm. I have also been chewing on this question, and now need to cleanse my palate!!

    Nancy.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    10 years ago

    Looks like Nancy and I have come to the same conclusion!

    Cynthia

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    10 years ago

    Speaking of great taste - yellow lake perch, TM? That used to be one of my Sunday Favs, when I lived near Lake Erie!!

    Nancy.

  • mnwsgal
    10 years ago

    Sounds suspiciously like the man who's name is on one of Chicago's baseball fields.

    I ate lots of perch growing up in the glacial lakes area of NE South Dakota.
    Here in Mn walleye is the fish I see at restraunts the most often.

    This post was edited by mnwsgal on Sun, Sep 8, 13 at 18:40

  • thinman
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It looks like it's time to call this one answered. I was waiting to see if Laura was going to throw some thoughts our way, but not today, I guess.

    Yes, the man was William Wrigley Jr, and the product was certainly chewing gum. The first two flavors were Juicy Fruit and Spearmint, followed by Doublemint some years later.

    Did you know that for years there were two Wrigley Fields? The first one named Wrigley Field was built in L.A. in 1925. The one in Chicago already existed, but it wasn't named after Wrigley until 1926. The fact that Wrigley owned the Cubs probably had something to do with that.

    for Bobbie, Cynthia, and Nancy.

    Yes, Nancy, yellow perch. From Lake Michigan. I was able to come up with only one big enough to keep today, though I did get to have two on my line at once (two baited hooks on one line).

    Thanks for playing trivia with me today, my friends.

    TM

  • mnwsgal
    10 years ago

    Juicy fruit was the first gum I remember buying and my favorite. We would get a dime to spend at the 5 & 10 Cent Store. Such fun trying to decide which penny candy to buy. I can not remember the price. Maybe we had to pool our money to buy gum.

    When I was teaching kids always wondered how I knew they were chewing forbidden gum. Because I could smell it. They liked JF too.

    Thanks for the fun, TM.

    Beautiful day here. It was a joy to work outside in the gardens.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    10 years ago

    I always chose Juicy Fruit, too! I think we paid a nickel a pack. Penny candy stores were the best! We went to an old-timey one after ballet class every week. So cool. Funny about kids at school and gum.

    Thanks for the stars TM. Interesting to find out about the first Wrigley Field. Now, I want to research the soap company in PhilaPa. That was a great question!

    Glad you got at least one perch. I have never tried two baited hooks on one line. Of course, I have never been a fisherman really. Happily, my son grew up loving it thanks to cousins and great uncles.

    Have a wonderful week all.

    Cynthia

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