Introduction
If you’re not a history buff, then learning about the backstory of any practice may have you yawning just by reading the title. Believe it or not, the history of the man behind modern dry cleaning is a lot more interesting than you might think it is. Today we want to allow you to learn about how the miracle of dry cleaning in Orange County came to be!
Thomas L. Jennings
The inventor of modern dry cleaning practices is accredited to Thomas L. Jennings. Jennings was born on New Year’s Day in 1791 in New York City. Born a free man, Jennings grew up to become a remarkable entrepreneur. Incorporating his interest and passion for cleaning and preserving clothing, he began his career as a professional tailor in the early 1810s. Jennings would eventually open his own dry cleaning business and innovate his method of cleaning and drying clothes by soaking them through fibers instead of impairing them with water. He called his approach “dry scouring” – and it was proven to be very successful! The word of Jennings’ majestic craft spread, and people from all over New York City and even beyond its boundaries came to him for their dry cleaning needs.
On March 3, 1821, at the age of 30, Jennings became the first African-American inventor to receive a patent, which grants an individual exclusive rights for their invention from the government to prevent others from selling or using their creation. This earned him a lot of money. A passionate civil rights activist, Jennings used the profit he made from dry scouring to donate to abolitionist campaigns and free members of his family who were born into slavery. He also served as the assistant secretary of the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in June 1831 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His daughter, Elizabeth Jennings, won a landmark civil rights case in the mid-1850s. Elizabeth and her friend were denied a ride on the Third Avenue Railroad Company streetcar when running late for church. In Jennings v. Third Ave. Railroad Co., the white judge, William Rockwell, and the all-white and all-male jury found the company guilty of unfair discrimination, stating that the women had a right to board the streetcar. Elizabeth also founded New York City’s first Kindergarten for African-American children.
On February 12, 1856, Jennings died in his native New York City at the age of 65. Over a century and a half later, he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) in 2015. Not only did he serve as an admirable advocate for equal rights for all American citizens, but his exceptional mind is responsible for the solutions and modern advancements that Orange County dry cleaners and our customers enjoy today.
Back to the future
We at Crystal Clear Dry Cleaners may not be historians, but we sure know how to get the dry cleaning job done! Book your appointment with the #1 dry cleaning service in Orange County and experience the difference between fresh, clean clothes today!