Small Home Gazette, Summer 2023

History Brief: Enjoy Summertime, One Straw at a Time

Marvin Chester Stone was tired of the way his drinking straw would break down, leaving a gritty residue and unpleasant taste in his mint julep. This was in the 1880s when straws were made from natural rye grass.

Being an inventor, Stone made his own drinking device by wrapping strips of paper around a pencil. He glued the strips together, later refining his design by using paraffin-coated manila paper to prevent sogginess and deterioration. His straw length was 8.5 inches with a diameter just small enough to avoid sipping up fruit seeds.    

Stone’s family manufactured tubular products—cigarette holders, pencil sharpeners—so he had business know-how at his fingertips. Filing for a patent in 1888, Stone was soon marketing  directly to druggists, clubs, hotels and restaurants. 

By 1900, his paper straws were a hit, with Stone promising “health, cleanliness and economy” at a time when people were concerned about catching diseases. At some point, Stone was producing two million paper straws a day in his factory.     

The next step?—drinking straws with an adjustable upper bend, known as “bendy straws,” created and patented in 1937 by Joseph Friedman after watching his young daughter have difficulty drinking a milk shake.