Icy treats can be traced back to Rome, Turkey, Persia, China and India. These cultures flavored snow or ice with fruit pulp, syrup, flowers and fragrance or froze mixtures outdoors on cold nights.
A cold night in 1905 is just what it took for Frank Epperson an eleven-year-old kid to invent the ice pop. He left powdered soda pop mixed with water outside. The stir stick was left in the container and the concoction turned to ice on a stick. Pure luck some say- but I’d like to believe he was smarter than that.
In 1920 Harry Burt, a candy maker created a chocolate coating for ice cream. He used his lollypop sticks to create the ice cream pop. He called them Good Humor Bars. He began sending out chauffeur driven trucks with men dressed in white uniforms to market them. The popularity grew.
In 1923 Epperson was inspired to manufacture his childhood invention. He began molding “Popsicles” in test tubes The name came from both the original ingredient soda pop and his kids called them Pop’s sicles. In 1925 he sold the rights to his invention for mass-production. During the 1930’s he invented the twin Popsicle (with 2 sticks) so two kids could share one Popsicle for the same price. He also invented the fudgesicle, dreamsicle and creamsicle.
Homemade pops were rare until the 1950’s when home freezers and plastic molds became commonplace. At this time people began to experiment with this new appliance and new plastic pop molds to creating their own flavor combinations.
Today most pops are sold in grocery stores or made at home. Entrepreneurial ice cream men and women still sell frozen treats from trucks in many neighborhoods. Mexican ice pops (paletas) which were only found in paleterias until recently have moved into mainstream supermarkets. Pops thrive as a treat that kids and adults alike continue to enjoy.
