POPSICLE: AN ICY BEGINNING

By Mary Davis

Have you ever had an Epsicle?

You probably have and didn’t know it.

In 1905, eleven-year-old Frank Epperson, of Oakland, California, showed his friends a powder soda mix that could be whipped up with water into a flavorful drink. Getting distracted, as an eleven-year-old has a tendency to do, he forgot it outside overnight. The temperatures dropped, and in the morning, his drink had frozen solid with his stir stick still in it. He ran the glass under hot water to free the solid drink. Using the stick as a handle, he gave it a lick and loved it.

Making more, he shared his treat with his friends. He called his frozen confection Epsicle, a combination of his last name and icicle. He continued to create these for the neighborhood kids. Then as an adult, he made them for his own children, who called them Pop’s Sicle.

A man in Central Park tasting his daughter's popsicle, 1942

In 1923, when he sought a patent, his children persuaded him to use their name for them, Popsicle. These were popular at baseball games, amusement parks, and other events, advertised as “a drink on a stick.”

With the crash of the stock market, Epperson found himself “flat and had to liquidate my assets.” He sold his invention to the Joe Lowe Co., who catapulted it to national success. Epperson said he was never the same after selling.

The Joe Lowe Co. added a second stick to create the twin pop, which sold for a nickel. This was a money stretcher during the Depression where two hungry children could pool their pennies and split one.

Good Humor (who sold chocolate covered ice cream on a stick) took the Joe Lowe Co. to court several times for copyright infringement. The court compromised and ruled that Joe Lowe Co. had rights to water based frozen confections and Good Humor had rights to ice cream based ones. Neither side was completely happy. The angst continued between these rivals until Unilever bought the Joe Lowe Co. then later acquired Good Humor.

In 1986, the twin pop was discontinued by the Unilever Co. as they were deemed too messy by moms. However, other companies still make some. Cherry, grape, and orange are the favorite flavors with cherry being number one.

What was your favorite flavor as a kid? And as an adult?

Mine were lime and root beer until I discovered missile bars. They were a cherry/mango swirl of deliciousness. I still eat them today under the name of Monster Cherry-Mango Pops.

The QUILTING CIRCLE Series 

Historical Romance

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 SELAH Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 SELAH Awards Winner & WRMA Finalist*– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Book5) *2023 SELAH Award Finalist – Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-eight years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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SOURCES:

The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century by Jean Anderson, 1997, p410

https://www.shared.com/these-facts-about-popsicles-may-surprise-you/

https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-popsicle-4070016

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-brief-history-of-popsicles-92923396/

https://www.history.com/news/frozen-history-the-story-of-the-popsicle

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a3406/history-of-popsicles-0610/

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/22/425294957/how-an-11-year-old-boy-invented-the-popsicle

https://www.popsicle.com/us/en/our-story.html