spend on an item for their kitchen even if it meant easing the effort they had to put in washing dishes. In addition, most homes in that era were not equipped to handle the machine's requirements in using hot water. However, years later, homes began adding boilers that were big enough to meet those requirements, eventually allowing Cochrane to sell to housewives, which initially was her real end goal. The World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 proved to be a pivotal moment in Cochrane's business as other companies relying heavily on investors were wiped out the same year in the Panic of 1893. The exposition proved a great place to pitch her innovation, and it worked well as many restaurants and hotels placed orders (with colleges and hospitals delayed in following due to sanitation requirements). Lots of money and time was saved as large models of Cochrane's dishwasher chugged away in their new homes. In 1898, she opened her own factory with George Butters as manager so she could extend her sales north and south, reaching from Mexico to Alaska. Closer to her death, she recounts the hardship she faced through her journey and admits that if she knew all that she knew today, she might not have ventured to innovate the dishwasher due to all the hassles. However, she is glad that she did. Her main customer continues to be hotels and restaurants. However, it was not until the attitude towards housework and technology, that dishwashing machine became popular, unfortunately a time that Cochran never saw, as she died in 1913 at the age of 74. Later in 1926, her company was sold to KitchenAid, now part of Whirlpool Corporation. Death and recognition Cochrane died of a stroke or exhaustion in Chicago, Illinois, on August 3, 1913, and was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Shelbyville, Illinois. In 2006 she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. References External links 19th-century American inventors People from Shelbyville, Illinois 1839 births 1913 deaths Women inventors People from Ashtabula County, Ohio People from Valparaiso, Indiana