The industrialized use of corn starch dates to the mid-19th century. In the U.S. before about 1842, wheat and to a lesser degree potatoes, remained the preferred starch raw materials.

By 1841, Thomas Kingsford, superintendent of a Jersey City, New Jersey, wheat starch factory, was experimenting with corn as a less expensive source of starch.

As is so often the case, he owed his success to a lucky accident and by 1842 had produced his first quantity of marketable starch. Foreseeing the markets that might develop for this new starch, he organized the firm of T. Kingsford & Son and built a small factory in New Jersey.

In 1848, Kingsford built a large corn starch plant in Oswego, New York. Soon, starch factories began cropping up all over the Midwest and Upstate New York. Between 1860 and 1890, 30 such facilities competed for a bulk sales business that catered largely to other industries such as textile-making.

While Kingsford's factories grew, so did a small wet milling company incorporated in Nebraska in 1891. The next year that company, later called Argo Manufacturing, began using its trademarked product: Argo corn starch.

On the eve of the 20th century, Argo, Kingsford, and two other starch factories combined to form the United Starch Company, a predecessor of the Corn Products Refining Company. Corn Products Refining later became CPC International, which changed its name to Bestfoods in 1998.

The use of corn starch in food recipes and food products is rather recent. Until 1850, corn starch was sold principally for laundry and industrial uses. About that time, Kingsford modified the production process slightly so that he was able to produce and package a high grade of corn starch for food use.

Today, thanks to Kingsford, we can add to the long list of uses for corn starch its applications in sauces, desserts, and baking. 

Kill cockroaches.
Mix equal parts  Corn Starch and plaster of Paris. Sprinkle the mixture in cracks and crevices. Cockroaches will eat the mixture and "petrify."

Cure athlete's foot.
Sprinkle  Corn Starch on your feet and in your shoes to absorb moisture and reduce friction.

Relieve sunburn pain.
Add enough water to  Corn Starch to make a paste, and apply directly to the burn.

Clean a carpet.
Sprinkle  Corn Starch on the carpet, wait thirty minutes, then vacuum clean.

Clean blood stains.
Immediately cover the spot with a paste of  Corn Starch and cold water.  Rub gently, place the object in the sun until dry to draw the blood into the corn starch, then brush off. Repeat if necessary.

Make spray starch for clothing.
Mix one tablespoon  Corn Starch and one pint cold water. Stir to dissolve the corn starch completely. Fill a spray bottle and use as you would any starch. Be sure to shake vigorously before each use.

Substitute for baby powder and talcum powder.
Apply  Corn Starch sparingly when diapering a baby. Corn starch is actually more absorbent than talcum powder, but apply lightly since it does cake more readily.

Help rubber gloves slip on easily.
Sprinkle  Corn Starch inside the gloves.

Shine your car.
When buffing your car, sprinkle a tablespoon of  Corn Starch on the wipe rag to remove excess polish easily.

Shampoo your hair.
Corn Starch can be used as a dry shampoo. Work into your hair, then brush out.

Prevent or kill mildew in damp books.
Sprinkle  Corn Starch throughout the book to absorb the moisture from damp pages, wait several hours, then brush clean. If the pages are mildewed, brush the corn starch off outdoors to keep mildew spores out of the house.

Detangle knots.
Sprinkle a stubborn knot with a little  Corn Starch.

Make fingerpaints.
Mix one-quarter cup  Corn Starch with two cups cold water, boil until thick, pour into small containers, and color with McCormick or Schilling Food Coloring.

Absorb excess polish from furniture.
After polishing furniture, sprinkle on a little  Corn Starch and rub wood with a soft cloth.

Clean silver.
Make a paste with  Corn Starch and water. Apply with a damp cloth, let dry, then rub off with cheesecloth

Remove grease or oil stains from smooth fabric.
Apply  Corn Starch to the spot, wait twelve hours, brush off, then launder as usual.

Make white clown makeup.
Mix two tablespoons  Corn Starch with one tablespoon solid shortening. Too add color, add McCormick or Schilling Food Coloring.

Give your dog a dry shampoo.
Rub  Corn Starch into your dog's fur, then comb and brush out.

Clean stuffed animals.
Rub  Corn Starch into the toy, let stand for five minutes, then brush off.

Prevent pastry dough from sticking to the cutting board and rolling pin.
Sprinkle the cutting board and rolling pin with tasteless Corn Starch before rolling out the dough.

Clean a deck of playing cards.
Place the deck of cards into a paper bag, adding four tablespoons Corn Starch, and shake briskly. Remove the cards from the bag and wipe clean.

Soothe skin irritations.
Apply a paste made of equal parts  Corn Starch, zinc oxide, and castor oil.

Thicken gravy.
Corn starch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup, or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much corn starch to thicken. One tablespoon of corn starch equals two tablespoons flour.

Relieve the pain and discomfort caused by hemorrhoids.
Ben Charles Harris, author of Kitchen Medicines, suggests mixing one tablespoon  Corn Starch in enough water to make a paste, gradually adding more water to measure a pint, boiling the mixture for a few minutes, allowing it to cool, and then using it in an enema.