The patent for the toothpick was filed in 1885, and the first toothpick mill in the town was opened in 1887. Forster chose Strong, Maine, as his base of operation due to the abundance of trees in the area. Along with a shoe pegging mechanic, he finally settled on white birch, as it was both pliable and had a subtle sweet smell and taste. He wanted to create a wooden toothpick that would be accessible to both the rich and the poor.įorster used shoe pegging equipment as a means of testing out various woods for his project. Toothpicks had been around for centuries, with the first systemized manufacturing of them taking place in Portugal, but toothpicks made of orangewood soon made their way to Brazil, a colony of Portugal at the time. Charles Forster, an entrepreneur from Boston, took a trip to Brazil in the mid-19 th century when he was first introduced to the concept of a toothpick. The town of Strong, Maine, has quite the nickname-Toothpick Capital of the World-bestowed upon them decades ago.
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