
Get the scoop: Pa.'s surprising connection to the history of ice creamNo, a Pennsylvanian didn’t invent ice cream. While no specific date of origin or inventor has been credited, historians have found references to ice-cream like treats dating back to the 2nd century B.C. Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar, and Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow to be flavored with fruits and juices.
Ice cream first shows up in the United States in late 1700s, where it was enjoyed by the elite who could afford to purchase the exotic treat. President George Washington spent $200 (more than $5,000 in today’s dollars) on ice cream during the summer of 1790, Dolley Madison served strawberry ice cream at her husband’s second inauguration, and Thomas Jefferson popularized vanilla as an ice cream flavor. However, American ice cream wouldn’t be what it is without the influence of the Keystone State. In honor of National Ice Cream month this July, here’s the scoop on how Pennsylvania fits into ice cream history. |
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African-American businessman and inventor Alfred Cralle invented the ice cream scoop in 1897. He was working as a porter at a drugstore and at a hotel in Pittsburgh. He noticed ice cream servers having difficulty getting the ice cream from the tub to the cone. It stuck to the spoons, requiring two hands and two tools to serve. He created a mechanical device, which he named the “Ice Cream Mold and Disher,” that was easy to operate with one hand and the ice cream wouldn’t stick to it. The 30-year-old’s invention received U.S. Patent #576395 on February 2, 1897.
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In the late 1700s-early 1800s, when freezers didn’t exist and obtaining the ice and ingredients was labor intensive and expensive, ice cream was a treat enjoyed only by the wealthy elite. We owe Philadelphian housewife Nancy Johnson a debt of gratitude—her invention brought ice cream to the masses. Her simple, hand-cranked ice cream churn was a game changer, making it possible for anyone to make quality ice cream. Her “artificial freezer” received U.S. Patent 3,254 on September 9, 1843. Today’s home ice cream makers still use her basic design.
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