Saturday, August 29, 2026

Question: What household appliance did James Murray Spangler build in Canton using a fan motor, soapbox, broom handle, and pillowcase?

Answer: The first commercially successful portable electric vacuum cleaner. Spangler founded the Electric Suction Sweeper Company to manufacture his invention. William Hoover, the husband of Spangler’s cousin, invested in the business, became its president, and eventually renamed it the Hoover Company.