Ear, ear: Maine town celebrates inventor of the earmuff

In this December 2015 photo, a portrait of Chester Greenwood, the inventor of the earmuff, hangs at the municipal offices in his hometown of Farmington, Maine. In 1873 at age 15, Greenwood made his first pair of "ear protectors" with the help from his grandmother after he returned from a cold day of ice skating. Farmington has been celebrating "Chester Greenwood Day" with a parade on the first Saturday of December since 1977. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) In this December 2015 photo, a portrait of Chester Greenwood, the inventor of the earmuff, hangs at the municipal offices in his hometown of Farmington, Maine. In 1873 at age 15, Greenwood made his first pair of "ear protectors" with the help from his grandmother after he returned from a cold day of ice skating. Farmington has been celebrating "Chester Greenwood Day" with a parade on the first Saturday of December since 1977. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

By Associated Press December 4, 2015 3 min read

FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) – Earmuffs have come a long way in 142 years.

Chester Greenwood was a 15-year-old bestowed with generous ears when he decided he had had enough of the biting cold while ice skating in 1873. The first earmuffs were then born, fashioned from farm wire with fur sewn on them by his grandmother.

Greenwood made improvements with a steel band and adjustable hinges, and sold hundreds of thousands of “Champion Ear Protectors.”

These days, similar versions are still sold. Others wrap around the back of the neck, eliminating mussed hair. There are versions with fleece, fur and down. Some have built-in ear buds for music.

It’s worth celebrating. So Greenwood’s hometown of Farmington is doing just that this weekend, as it has for nearly 40 years, with a parade in which residents proudly wear earmuffs.