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An Amana History Lesson, yeup, get ready…
Amana, IA |
Amana ? Don’t they make appliances? That is all I know….Short answer is yes, but read on… The Amana Corporation was founded in 1934 by George Foerstner as The Electrical Equipment Co. in Middle Amana, Iowa, to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers. In 1954 it began making air conditioners. Amana was acquired in 1965 by Raytheon, which had invented the microwave oven in 1947, and introduced the commercial Radarange, in 1954. In 1967 Amana introduced a consumer model of the Radarange, the first popular microwave designed for home use. Amana home appliances are now owned and manufactured by the Whirlpool Corporation. Today, we did a little sight seeing in the Colony… The Amana Colony…is seven villages on 26,000 acres . Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. The villages were built and settled by German Pietists, who were persecuted in their homeland by the German state government and the Lutheran Church. They first settled in New York near Buffalo in what is now the Town of West Seneca. However, seeking more isolated surroundings, they moved to Iowa (near present-day Iowa City) in 1856. They lived a communal life until the mid-1930s. The Seven Villages of Amana are a tourist attraction known for its restaurants and craft shops. The colony was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965. Interesting, but a tourist trap……
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