D+5D+John Boos & Company circa 1900D+In business since 1887, John Boos & Co. is the oldest industry in South Central Illinois. Founder, Conrad Boos Sr. named the business after his son, John and for years, worked out of a blacksmith shop in Effingham. The blacksmith used a Sycamore tree placed on three legs to straighten horseshoes. The wooden block absorbed the shock of the hammer. In 1890, a local butcher realized the block could be used for cutting meat, and had one made. The word spread to surrounding small towns and cities and by 1911D+In 1956, John Boos began to sell some of their products for home use. Today, John Boos cutting boards are found in hotels and restaurant kitchens, culinary schools, and on televised cooking shows. The old craftsmen work ethic is still around at John Boos, with a few changes.Premium Hard Rock Maple lumber from the surrounding Mid-West and Northern States is used in place of Sycamore lumber. And John Boos automation has replaced much of the older equipment with the exception of the 1942D+John Boos & Co. utilizes 100D+In 1892 the Boos family sold interest in the company to the Gravenhorst family. In 1895 the building burned and was rebuilt. In 1899 they moved to the present site of 315D+In 1920, they added extra buildings and kilns.. By the 1940D+The company continued expanding through the 60s and '70s with the growth of its metal table market with synthetic tops, stainless-steel tops, or maple tops. Even though the government was tough on wood products through the 1970s and '80D+John Boos & Co. Cucina butcher blocks and cutting boards are used by celebrity chefs throughout the USA, including Charlie Trotter, Ming Tsai, Paul Kahan, Susan Spicer, Mary Sue Milliken, and Susan Feninger. In addition, chef’s featured on "The Food Network", such as Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse, prepare meals every day on John Boos cutting boards. In 1994, we were we were 1 of 22D+The company currently occupies approximately 150,000 square feet in Effingham, IL and approximately 65,000 square feet in Philipsburg, PA and Suring, WI. The company’s four dry kilns dry up to 210,000D+Wash your John Boos cutting board with hot soapy water after each use and dry it with a clean towel or let it air dry. For further sanitation, the board can be rinsed with a vinegar or chlorine bleach solution. (1 teaspoon bleach to one quart of water/5-to-1D+Oil your cutting board on all surfaces every 3-4D+