I would be remiss if I wrapped up my brief look at the American Stove Company in Lorain without mentioning the famous
Lorain Oven Heat Regulator, which is considered to be the first thermostat for manufactured kitchen ovens. It was invented by
Benjamin E. Meacham, of Lorain, Ohio, who was the superintendent of the plant.
He designed his automatic heat control, called the "Lorain," in 1913 and tested it at home in his own kitchen for eighteen months. After the success of this test trial, the factory put it into production and the first range equipped with the device shipped in December 1914.
The American Stove Company adopted the regulator for all six of its divisions in 1919.
Here's the whole story, as summed up in an article that appeared in the June 17, 1922 issue of
American Gas Journal.
Here's a shorter version of the story, which appeared in the June 3, 1922 edition of Gas Age.
