Hoover Historical Center

Few household cleaning inventions rival that of the vacuum cleaner. It is hard to imagine how we would keep our rugs and floors clean without them, whether you prefer a dust buster, a roaming robot or something more heavy duty. But before the turn of the 20th century, one of the biggest names in revolutionizing the vacuum industry was living out his childhood in a Victorian home in North Canton, Ohio: William H. Hoover, founder of the Hoover Vacuum Company. And now you can see it for yourself inside Walsh University’s Hoover Park. [1]

The Hoover Company began after William H. Hoover’s interest peaked in an early version of a standing vacuum cleaner. A man by the name of James M. Spangler invented what he named the “carpet sweeper and cleaner.” Spangler founded the Electric Suction Sweeper Company shortly after receiving a patent for his machine in 1908. [2] He was married to William Hoover’s first cousin, giving Hoover a firsthand look at the machine and the inner workings of his company. Hoover quickly invested and eventually became president of the company, renaming it the Hoover Company in 1922. [3]

William Hoover was an innovative business strategist, and his sales methods quickly led to Hoover Vacuum Company being one of the largest vacuum cleaner manufacturers in the world. He set up agreements with various stores around the country, making them “dealers” of Hoover products. The salespeople would earn commission on what they sold, and the customers would get a free trial of their products—giving both the retailers and the consumers extra incentive to shop the Hoover brand. [4]

Hoover’s rise to power was happening during an unprecedented era of American consumerism. The “Roaring '20s” brought an era of national prosperity and growing rights for women, who at that time did most of the shopping for cooking, cleaning and other domestic duties. The image of the “New Woman” in the early 20th century revolved around female expression and power; this included fighting for women’s suffrage, pursuing education, expressing themselves through fashion and being major players in the consumer culture that was dominating the country. Producers of products like Hoover were paying attention to how women were key in the business game through their advertising, which Hoover capitalized on. Images of the “new woman” in a modern age were often used in ads for cars, clothes, cosmetics and, you guessed it, electrical appliances. [5]

You can get a firsthand look at the progression of the Hoover Company inside the Victorian home. Some of the exhibits include vintage advertisements, antique vacuum models and women’s fashions of the times. [6]