Happy National Inventors Day! February 11, 2023

Dear Granddaddy and Grandfather Allen,

We're celebrating National Inventors' Day this weekend. Talk of inventions were standard during my childhood. Each trip to see our grandparents in Oregon entailed a tour of the Pacific Adhesives Corporation, my paternal Grandfather's firm. We had tours of the plant, got to see the new railroad cars, and especially got to visit my Grandfather's laboratory. There were always experiments underway and it was fascinating even if it didn't always smell great. Granddaddy held several patents including US2191070A on the Process of manufacturing plywood which was assigned to M&M Wood Working Co. The original application was filed 19 Feb 1935. Drawing from the patent below.

Granddaddy was not the only inventor in the family. Chester Bynon Allen, Grandmother Cone's father also had several patents to his name. His first patent was filed June 16, 1908 and was approved July 6, 1909. It is Patent No 927,205 for Wainscoting. He developed the process while living in Johnson City, Tennessee and working as President of the Standard Oak Veneer Company and the Allen Panel Company.

Both men had several patents all of which have expired now.

I knew my grandfather well and was lucky enough to know him as an adult. He was always willing to read to us as children and never backed away from an intellectual discussion when we were adults.

Love this photograph of him as a young chemist and inventor circa 1932.

My great grandfather Chester Bynon Allen died October 21, 1945, so I never new him. I talked with one of his older grandchilren, H. Brent Cooke, III, about him several years ago. Brent said that he remembered him sitting at the table reading his newspaper, and looking askanse over the paper at some of the opinions that his wife was expressing. The photograph below was posted by Lawrence Allen, another of his great grandchildren. I think I detect some remainder of the red hair he was supposed to have passed on to my Grandmother.

Febrary 13, 2023 was the 157th anniversary of his birth.

Love,

Cecily