Pop-Ups
Anyone who claims popcorn first appeared at a World’s Fair will undoubtedly face challenges from those with Native American or Mesoamerican ancestry.
Historical records show the Great Lakes Iroquois popped corn in heated crockery as far back as the 1600s. Thanks to discoveries in the late 1940s and early 1950s, we know that flint corn — the popping kind — has grown in North America since 2000 BCE.
Popcorn and the fairs didn’t seem to converge until the late 19th Century. That’s when receipts confirm popcorn vendors paid at least $3,000 for concession licenses at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exhibition.
However, some exciting developments in popcorn innovation were showcased at 1893’s Columbian Exposition. First and foremost, Charles Cretors demonstrated his steam-powered popcorn machine to those strolling along the fair’s Midway Plaisance. His contraption — which looked like a steampunk baby buggy — was a peanut roaster he’d modified after becoming disillusioned with its intended function.
Unlike other popping equipment at the time, Cretors’ invention distributed heat evenly so more kernels would pop. Until then, almost all popcorn was made in wire baskets over an open flame. It was also hand-seasoned with butter and salt, resulting in a snack that was either soggy or too dry. Cretors provided a workaround, as his machine popped kernels in leaf lard and butter oil for a more uniform taste and texture.
Cretors’ seasoning hack wasn’t his only contribution to increasing popcorn consumption in the U.S. He also added wheels to his popcorn machine, making the snack readily available to the masses. Previous set-ups weren’t as ingeniously mobile as Cretors’ wagon. Within a decade of Cretors hauling his popcorn machine down to Jackson Park, similar wagons appeared outside silent movie theaters across the country.
While many theater owners initially viewed the aroma of popcorn as an unwelcome distraction during screenings, most came around. During the Great Depression, operators realized a 5- or 10-cent bag of popcorn could be the difference between solvency and ruin. When one such theater owner, Glen Dickinson, Sr., learned that popcorn was more profitable than movie tickets, he purchased farmland and began raising corn.
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Just as popcorn and the movies have become synonymous, people often associate Cracker Jack with baseball. Yet the song “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” wasn’t written until 1908. While lyricist Jack Norworth is responsible for making Cracker Jack part of our popular culture, its launch pad was the 1893 fair.
Cracker Jack’s creator, former Illinois farmhand and German immigrant Frederick “Fritz” Rueckheim, was lured to Chicago more than 20 years before the fair to help clean up the Great Fire of 1871. Rueckheim invested $200 in a pre-existing popcorn stand shortly after his arrival. Within two years, he bought out his partner and recruited his brother Louis to help grow the operation.
Over time, the brothers experimented with different complements to their popcorn. An early molasses-and-peanuts version is what reportedly debuted at the fair. Like Cretors, they weren’t an official vendor, so verifying the brothers were there is difficult. It’s probable, though, as the Chicago History Museum confirms the Rueckheims had established a three-story factory on S. Clinton Street by 1893. Current Cracker Jack owner Frito-Lay also asserts the brothers were selling their product to throngs of fairgoers.
In an interesting twist, the doubters — like Northwestern University’s Bill Savage — are also right when they argue Cracker Jack wasn’t exhibited at the Columbian Exposition. In one small way, it wasn’t. The name, a synonym for striking excellence, wasn’t registered until 1896. Before this, Cracker Jack was simply known as "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts." Catchy, huh?