Historical Review

Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing vanilla to the United States in the late 1700s. While serving as Ambassador to King Louis XVI of France, he became familiar with vanilla beans, and brought 200 vanilla beans back with him when he returned to the United States.

Ice cream was becoming popular before the Revolutionary War, being served in New York City confectionery shops.

George Washington liked ice cream and kept two pewter ice cream pots at Mount Vernon during his presidency from 1789-1797.

Dolly Madison created a sensation when she served ice cream as a dessert in the White House at the second inaugural ball in 1812.

The first ice cream cone was produced in New York City in 1896 by Italo Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, and was granted a patent for his special mould in December, 1903. In 1904, the ice cream cone was introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair when a Syrian waffle concessionaire named E.A. Hamwi started rolling waffles into the shape of a cone for the benefit of an ice cream vendor who occupied an adjoining booth. It has remained a favorite to this date, with billions of cones consumed each year.