A Message From Our President: "Everything That Can Be Invented Has Been Invented" - Charles H. Duell

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Jonathan R. Krause -

Everything that can be invented has been invented

- Charles H. Duell

In 1889, Charles H. Duell was the Commissioner of the US patent office. He is widely quoted as stating the patent office would soon shrink in size, and eventually close, because “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”

As Gambino Realtors continues to celebrate our 100th anniversary, we look back at life back in 1923. Our founder, F.M. Gambino developed Montague Heights, the first planned unit development, located in Southwest Rockford. In those early days, basements were dug using a team of horses hitched to a scoop bucket that made an increasingly deeper dish-shape hole until the correct depth was achieved. After the depth was reached, men hand-dug the sides of the hole to square it out for the concrete foundation.

In those days, there were no power tools. Every board was cut by hand and every screw was hand-drilled. Walls were lath and plaster. Craftmanship and a strong back were certainly required.

Many homes had coal furnaces which required a coal chute and if you look closely, you can still find homes featuring the chute, now permanently sealed off.

As we look back now 100 years later, we marvel at how these homes were built so carefully, and are still standing today! Certainly, home construction has advanced tremendously over time, and it makes me wonder what new ideas will be introduced in the next 100 years!

Jonathan R. Krause, President Gambino Realtors

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