While most Americans rely on washing machines to clean their clothes, that's not the case everywhere: Over half of the global population washes clothes by hand. It's a time-intensive and physically ...

Martin Ahlene built a one-horsepower gasoline engine when he was 17 years old to attach to his widowed mother’s hand washing machine. Mr. Ahlene, who started factory work at age 14 in Moline, ended ...