Chester Greenwood had ears that throbbed and ached anytime he was cold and his ears were well known in his Maine hometown. They would change color when the temperature dipped below freezing, first turning pale white, then red and finally blue. Chester’s ears were fine when the weather was above freezing, but once the mercury dropped, he dropped inside to get next to the fire. Knowing he must weather the elements, he wore a heavy towel around his head for protection. While ice-skating, Chester tied a scarf around his head. His ears were warm, but the allergic itch was unbearable. With either frozen or itchy ears, he was miserable. Chester Greenwood solved the dilemma, with some assistance from his grandmother. He looped two pieces of wire with fur sewn to the ends. According to the United States Patent Office, he patented a device that included a steel band that better secured the fur pads, and named it, Greenwood's Champion Ear Protectors, later forming the Greenwood Ear Protector Factory. We know them as "ear muffs" and Chester's hometown of Farmington, Maine is recognized as the Earmuff Capital of the World. The first Saturday in December is his birthday that includes an Ear Muff Parade.