The History of Ice Cream &
Famous People who liked cool treats
on HOT summer days…
(run your mouse over the 'facts' to learn more!)

Caesar sent teams of runner into the mountains to get snow, which was then flavored with honey, fruits, and juices Marco Polo returned to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what is now called sherbet. Historians believe that this is the recipe that evolved into ice cream sometime during the 16th century in Italy. Ice cream was first made available to the general public for the first time at Café Procope, the first café in Paris. Throughout the 18th century ice cream became more and more popular in Europe 1845, Nancy Johnson invented a hand operated ice cream freezer, which helped Americans enjoy ice creams in their own homes. 1896 - the first ice cream cone was produced by Italo Marchiony who was awarded the patent in 1903 1899, five million gallons of ice cream were produced in the U.S. Cones were probably invented when Ernest A. Hamwi set up his pastry stand at the 1904 World’s Fair next to one selling ice cream. When the ice-cream stand ran out of dishes, Hamwi shaped one of his pastries into a cone. 1920, Harry Burt Jr. of Ohio came up with the idea of ice cream on a stick. He called it the Good Humor Bar. Mr. Burt’s customers did not have to come to him. He used specially decorated white cars to bring the treats right to customers. 1921, ice cream become so identified with American culture that the Commissioner of Ellis Island included ice cream in all arriving Americans' meals “Soda fountains” serving drinks mixed with carbonated water, ice cream and syrup became a part of many drug stores. The young men who mixed the sodas were called “soda jerks” because they had to jerk on the faucet handles to pour the soda.