A couple years ago we discussed the many states that just can’t get enough ice cream. One of those states on the list was Wisconsin. The state that we believed served the very first ice cream sundae. But since then we’ve decided to follow up on this story and learn more about how the ice cream sundae was born. To our surprise it turns out that things aren’t so black in white. In fact many states have argued over which invented the ice cream sundae. Today we try to dig deep into the past and learn the true about how the ice cream sundae was born.
Two Rivers, Wisconsin
The story of Wisconsin comes from a soda fountain owner named Ed Berners and his customer George Hallauer. The stories we’ve found very but the gist is that George wanted an ice cream soda but ended up getting a dish of ice cream with chocolate syrup on top. At the time chocolate syrup was only used for flavoring ice cream sodas. The dish was liked so much by his customer and Berners himself that he began selling the dish on Sundays for a nickel (thus the name Sundae). However as business grew and the demand for these Ice Cream Sundays expanded the ice cream shop began selling them every day of the week.
Ithaca, New York
If you enjoyed the above story, be sure not to share it in New York. That’s because the people of Ithaca have their own story. This one features a man named Chester Platt who owned Platt & Colt’s drugstore in the 1900’s. Chester also happened to be a church treasurer and would often meet with Reverend John M. Scott for conversation after services. During their conversations Mr. Platt prepared a dish of ice cream for the two of them and decided to spice up the treat with syrup and a cherry on top. The men enjoyed their new ice cream dish so much that Chester believed that it needed to be sold in his store and that’s when Reverend Scott helped name the dish after the day that it was created.
Evanston, Illinois
That’s right folks; we have a third state that has entered the debate. In this story we are taken back to the nineteen hundreds where laws were once passed to prohibit the selling of soda water on Sunday. To get around these laws, stores in Evanston would begin selling ice cream sodas minus the soda. Not only was this a smart idea to get around a silly law, but it ended up being a huge success. Like with the other states this ice cream sundae features the key ingredients of Ice Cream, Syrup and of course, being invented on Sunday.
Each state has their history when it comes to the ice cream sundae. So which one is telling the truth? The National Register of Historic Places says that Two Rivers, Wisconsin is the true founder, while Ithaca has plenty of evidence to support their claim. What do you think? Froyo Gelato Supplies isn’t ready to pick favorites or give you an answer, but we instead encourage you to decide for yourself. Grab a sundae spoon along with your favorite ice cream and toppings while you are thinking it over.
