Ice Cream Cones
image from Clipart Library
The ice cream cone was "discovered" at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
The story goes, according to the International Dairy Foods Association, that Ernest A Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire, had a booth next to an ice cream vendor during the 1904 World's Fair:
"Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry -- zalabis -- in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice cream's popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes. Hamwi saw an easy solution to the ice cream vendor's problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution that it is today."
It is a great story, even if some may dispute the fact that ice cream "cornucopias" existed before 1904. The fact is, so many people loved the ice cream treats at the 1904 World's Fair that the ice cream cone's popularity soared after the Fair was over.
The Lyon family at the 1904 World's Fair. [Photograph: Missouri Historical Society]
The 1904 World's Fair in St Louis was created to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase and the exploration of the new territory by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The movie, "Meet Me in St Louis" starring Judy Garland celebrates the 1904 St Louis World's Fair.
See you on Friday!
