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- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Since recently posted on Caramel Popcorn thought the history of Cracker Jack be of interest.
Cracker Jack was invented by German immigrant William Rueckheim, He came to Chicago in 1872. He first worked selling popcorn from a cart. He and his brother Louis then made a delightful popcorn candy which was popcorn coated with molasses. They started to mass produce it and it was said to be sold at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. It was first called "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts". It is written that it got its name from a customer who when first eating the treat exclaimed: "That really a cracker-jack!" The inventors liked the name and it stuck. It is also know that "crackerjack" was a slang expression at that time that meant "something very pleasing or excellent". Some say that is why it got its name.
In 1908 Cracker Jack was immortalized in the song "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" by Norwood and Von Tilzer. The lyric is "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack!". Cracker Jack was very popular to buy at baseball games and still is.
The first prizes in Cracker Jack were introduced in 1912. Since that time over 17 billon toys have been placed in Cracker Jack boxes. One of the first prizes in 1914 were two Cracker Jack baseball card issues which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short lived Federal League. Other early prizes were rings, plastic figurines, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos and decoder rings. The early prizes are much prized by collectors.
The Mascots on the Cracker Jack box are Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo, who were introduced in 1918 and became a registered trademark in 1919. Sailor Jack was modeled after Robert Rueckheim, who was grandson of F.W. Rueckheim. The boy died at age 8 shortly after his image was first used.
In 1964 Borden purchased Cracker Jack and Frito-Lay purchased it from Borden in 1997.
Cracker Jack was invented by German immigrant William Rueckheim, He came to Chicago in 1872. He first worked selling popcorn from a cart. He and his brother Louis then made a delightful popcorn candy which was popcorn coated with molasses. They started to mass produce it and it was said to be sold at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. It was first called "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts". It is written that it got its name from a customer who when first eating the treat exclaimed: "That really a cracker-jack!" The inventors liked the name and it stuck. It is also know that "crackerjack" was a slang expression at that time that meant "something very pleasing or excellent". Some say that is why it got its name.
In 1908 Cracker Jack was immortalized in the song "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" by Norwood and Von Tilzer. The lyric is "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack!". Cracker Jack was very popular to buy at baseball games and still is.
The first prizes in Cracker Jack were introduced in 1912. Since that time over 17 billon toys have been placed in Cracker Jack boxes. One of the first prizes in 1914 were two Cracker Jack baseball card issues which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short lived Federal League. Other early prizes were rings, plastic figurines, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos and decoder rings. The early prizes are much prized by collectors.
The Mascots on the Cracker Jack box are Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo, who were introduced in 1918 and became a registered trademark in 1919. Sailor Jack was modeled after Robert Rueckheim, who was grandson of F.W. Rueckheim. The boy died at age 8 shortly after his image was first used.
In 1964 Borden purchased Cracker Jack and Frito-Lay purchased it from Borden in 1997.
Bringing the