Stanley Cup Inventor From Small MA Town

Disclaimer: We're not talking about the NHL Stanley Cup.

The Stanley tumbler and more frenzy is still a thing and we were talking about it on today's show. The Target in Lanesborough is apparently in limited supply! What else is new?

The guy who started Stanley is apparently a BIG deal, and called Western Massachusetts his home for many years.

William Stanley Jr. was born in NY, but moved to Great Barrington, a town of about 6500 people in 1885, he died there in 1916 at the age of 57.

Stanley insulated cups are not new, having been invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913. But with a dedicated fan base on TikTok, various styles and prices ranging from $20 for a 14-ounce cup to $60 for a 64-ounce version, anything Stanley is hard to come by. latimes.com

William Stanley Jr. was a famous inventor and not just the all steel vacuum bottle

During his lifetime (1858-1916), the Berkshire resident was granted 129 patents for a wide range of devices—from the first metal thermos to a better electric meter. Though lacking the name recognition of his contemporaries Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse, the prolific and creative Stanley ranks as one of the most significant inventors of AC (alternating current) power.

Stanley is noted for his patented coil transformer design in 1885, the breakthrough needed for high voltage to be transported over long distances using AC. In 1886, he demonstrated the world’s first AC lighting system, illuminating the Main Street buildings of nearby Great Barrington. Stanley founded the Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company in Pittsfield in 1890, as a creator of transformers, auxiliary electrical equipment and appliances. -williamstanleybp.com