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On this episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne pay a virtual visit to the graveside of a man who truly made a "splash" not only in America, but around the world. Join them as they relate
the fascinating story of John Michael Kohler, the man credited as the inventor of the modern bathtub. From his humble beginnings as a young farm child in Austria to his journey as an immigrant in America, Kohler's life was a true rags-to-riches tale. Join us as we explore his rise to success in building the Kohler business in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, his charitable works, and his involvement with the Masons and Odd Fellows. Plus, discover how he made a splash in local politics as the mayor of Sheboygan in 1892! It's an ordinary life turned extraordinary!
Learn more about the Kohler company here:
https://www.kohlercompany.com/
Learn about the John Michael Kohler Arts Center here: https://www.jmkac.org/
Photo Credits:
John Michael Kohler: Public Domain
Photo of portrait of
Elizabeth "Lillie" Vollrath Kohler: Debra Shadd
Photo of Kohler house: Debra Shadd
Photos of Kohler Family Graves: Joe Selinski
Resources used to research this episode include:
Publishing , Excelsior . "John M. Kohler." https://freepages.rootsweb.com/. freepages.rootsweb.com/~sheboygan/genealogy/bios623.htm. Accessed 21 July 2024.
, Herostratus. "John Michael Kohler." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/. edited by Theanonymoustypist, 23 Jan. 2024. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Michael_Kohler. Accessed 21 July 2024.
, Kohler. "Our History ." https://www.kohler.com/. www.kohler.com/en/about-us/our-heritage. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Historical Collections , Harvard Business School . "1873: Off the Rails." https://www.library.hbs.edu/. www.library.hbs.edu/hc/crises/1873.html. Accessed 21 July 2024.
"History of enamelware - kitchen & household ." http://www.oldandinteresting.com/. 5 Mar. 2012. www.oldandinteresting.com/enamelware-history.aspx. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Dipple, Beth. "History Uncovered: Location, location, location – Kohler and Vollrath companies' first homes ." https://www.sheboygansun.com/. 29 Dec. 2021. www.sheboygansun.com/history/history-uncovered-location-location-location-kohler-and-vollrath-companies-first-homes/article_9ffd3928-68c8-11ec-864f-1b7c2d61bad2.html. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Selinski, Joe. "John Michael Kohler." https://www.findagrave.com/. edited by Linda Belmonte, 21 May 2006. www.findagrave.com/memorial/14351528/john_michael_kohler. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Made In Wisconsin. 1987, pp. 17 - 23.
Broman, Thomas. "The Early History of the Kohler Company ." https://wi101.wisc.edu/. 2 Nov. 2020. wi101.wisc.edu/the-early-history-of-the-kohler-company/. Accessed 21 July 2024.
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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.