CONNECTICUT: Can openers
People used to open canned food with hammers and chisels when it hit grocery store shelves in 1810. Ezra Warner invented a better way with his can opener in 1858. However, it wasn't the familiar handheld device we use today — the saw-like blade left jagged edges on the can and was widely used in grocery stores, where clerks would opens cans for shoppers to take home.