#2: Vaseline
Robert Chesebrough encountered a strange waxy residue in the Pennsylvania oil fields and saw possibility where workers probably saw grime. After refining and experimenting with the substance, he began selling purified petroleum jelly under the Vaseline name in 1870. Chesebrough was not shy about demonstrating his faith in it either, reportedly using the product publicly while traveling to introduce it to customers. Within a few years, demand was considerable. By 1874, more than 1,400 tins were being sold each day in the United States.
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