Ice Cream and Daydeams

As much as I’d like to tout the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis as the birthplace of the ice cream cone, ‘t’aint so. Eight years earlier, according to the International Dairy Foods Association, that favorite summertime treat appeared in NYC thanks to an Italian who had emigrated to the US. Italo Marchiony was his name and he received a patent in 1903 for this popular invention.

The Fair opened in St. Louis in April of 1904 and closed in December. Photos of that era show folks wearing a lot more clothing most of the time, even more when they dressed up for church and special occasions. Don’t you know fair attendees in June, July and August NEEDED ice cream? Such a popular item created a dilemma for the ice cream vendor, who at some point during the event ran out of dishes for serving the treat.

Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian vendor next to the ice cream concessionaire, saw an amazing opportunity! He was making zalabias - a waffle-like pastry. He rolled up a fresh one into a cornucopia - what the cone was first called - and handed it over. The rolled-up waffle cooled quickly, the ice cream man plopped the dairy treat into it, and there you have it…the resourceful partnership that catapulted the ice cream cone into history.

Before the end of the fair, machines were invented to make the cornucopias. Hamwi founded the Missouri Cone Company in 1910. Later, machines made cones using molds. We can still enjoy our favorite ice cream flavor in either type. Personally, in my cones I prefer the frozen ice cream to the soft-serve kind.

During my raising in St. Louis, visits to Ripley County for summertime family gatherings featured fried fish, award-worthy hush puppies, fried okra and tomatoes freshly harvested from the garden. The finale was waiting with all the cousins for the ice cream to be ready as first one then another manned the crank..

Mom turned making ice cream sundaes and banana splits at home into a grand occasion. Syrups, nuts, jams and preserves - her homemade strawberry preserves were scrumptious! - were lined up, the bananas sliced, and we created our very own versions finished with squirts of whipped cream topped off with marschino cherries. Other times we had root beer floats in her fancy carnival glass.

Something about sticky July days makes the music from the ice cream truck play in my head. Those sweet notes traveled the heat waves long before we could see the truck - time enough to scramble to the house to rob piggy banks or beg for change.

May you savor splendid ice cream and daydreams this sultry summer season!