History of Shelbyville

Famous People

She was born Josephine Garis in Ashtabula County, Ohio, on March 8, 1839, and raised in Valparaiso, Indiana. She was the daughter of John Garis, a civil engineer, and Irene Fitch Garis, as well as the granddaughter of an innovator.^[7]

After moving to her sister’s home in Shelbyville, Illinois, she married William Cochran (later Cochrane) on October 13, 1858. William had returned the year before from a disappointing try at the California Gold Rush but had gone on to become a prosperous dry goods merchant and Democratic Party politician. She took her husband’s name but spelt it with an “e” on the end.^[8] Josephine and William had 2 children: Hallie and Katharine.^[9]

In 1870, the family moved into a mansion, and Cochrane joined Chicago society. After one dinner party, some of the heirloom dishes got chipped while being washed, prompting her to search for a better alternative to handwashing.^[10] She also wanted to relieve tired housewives from the duty of washing dishes after a meal