New Linoleum Sign of Prosperity

By Delbert Trew
Published on July 7, 2009

The first sign of prosperity I can remember at the Trew house was in about 1938, when we laid the first linoleum in the kitchen.

The Dust Bowl and Great Depression allowed few frivolous purchases of any type. For many years, we just had to make do with the old rough wooden floors.

Installation day was exciting for my little brother and me. We helped remove all stoves, tables and chairs, unrolled the linoleum and cut it to fit the room. An extra piece along one side was cut and tacked down to the cabinet to match the floor. Mother beamed with pride at the new addition. My brother and I, with a long run in socks, could slide plumb across the kitchen floor, when Mother wasn’t looking of course.

Some called it noleum, a neighbor called it lemonnoleum and a friend still says liniminoleum. Whatever you call it, the product was the cheapest and best floor covering of the time. Linoleum was invented in 1860 by British tinkerer Frederick Walton. By accident, he discovered that linseed oil, derived from the flax plant, became rubbery under certain conditions. He manufactured a floor covering for sale and, like the Ford Model T, it came in all colors as long as you wanted black.

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