On This Date in Minnesota History: January 1

January 1, 1912¹ – Walter H. Deubner invented the shopping bag. “Deubner ran a small grocery store in St. Paul, and was looking for a way to give his business a boost.”² Observing his customers, he noticed they purchased only what they could carry. He came up with a way to help them buy more items: a paper bag with cord running through it for strength. “Deubner patented his product and within three years, by 1915, was selling over a million shopping bags a year.”^2
1http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/28952
²http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/shopbag.htm

Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Jan. 1, 2013, 

as long as acknowledgement included.