When Henry Ilten and William Taege started selling and installing oil, coal and gas furnaces as Ilten & Taege in 1892, Cedar Rapids was a young community with growing pains.

Homes were heated by gravity furnaces (which had no blowers) and air conditioning consisted of opening your windows and praying for a cool breeze. Forced-air heating systems and central air conditioning were still at least 30 years in the future.

Today, as Ilten's marks its 108th year in business, central air is the rule and microcomputers are replacing thermostats in many new homes. But Henry Ilten's descendants are still guiding the company, a rarity in an era of corporate mergers and acquisitions.

The company was born in a storefront at 1st Street SW and has left its imprint on the history of Cedar Rapids.

" Ilten & Taege installed virtually all the original furnaces in what is now the central area of Cedar Rapids." " The first forced-air heating system was built by John Norris (owner of Lennox Industries) and installed by Lee Ilten Sr. in Harrison Spangler's home on Cottage Grove Avenue SE." - Continued -