Juicetown, USA

Hey Pies,

Did you know that if you search, "Who created the juicer?", most results will say Norman Walker in the 1930's. But it was actually a black woman in Juice Valley, USA, otherwise known as California. Her name was Madeline M. Turner, and her Fruit-Press is the blueprint on which all modern juicers are based. Turner was granted a patent in 1916 for a machine that manually presses juice from citrus and other fruits. Her invention paved the way for modern juice presses and what is now a thriving demand for juice worldwide.

Turner subsequently invented the fruit press machine and was granted a patent (U.S. Patent Number 1,180,959) on April 25, 1916. Patent Examiner Patricia Ives praised Turner’s invention as “ingenious” due to its feasibility and its easy-to-clean design. Her fruit press was first displayed at the Panama-California Exhibition in San Diego, California shortly after her patent was granted. Between 1948 and 2014, seven other patents referenced her invention (and its adjoining patent).

Juicing is an integral part of the history of the Black diaspora. It seems fitting that the early creativity of the modern juicer leads back to Black migration into California, which has a long and rich history, dating back to the California Gold Rush in the mid-19th century.

There is a history of Black, and mestizo Californians under Spanish rule in California, dating back to the 1500s. By the mid-1850s, after the U.S. had won the Mexican-American War, Blacks residing in the California region could again be subject to legal slavery under U.S. colonial rule. During the Reconstruction and Gold Rush periods, many African Americans traveled to California to search for gold and better economic opportunities. This migration continued throughout the 20th century, with many black Americans moving to California during both World War I and World War II to take advantage of the job opportunities created by the war effort.

California agriculture and lifestyle have long been influenced and adopted by Black Americans, and spread throughout the rest of the country. Black Californians have largely influenced black veganism movements and the Caribbean. 

Thank you for the legacy and impact, Ms. Turner.

Cross posted from Journey Foods The Pie Series