How 'Cracker Jack' Got Its Name
I don’t know about you all, but one of my favorite memories as a child was when my grandfather would bring me a box of Cracker Jacks from his small neighborhood store. First there was the caramel coated popcorn, then the peanuts that had just the right flavor, and to top it off you got a small prize. Here’s a fun lesson on how 'Cracker Jack' got its name.
This is a neat history lesson. You can cover all of the other things that were going on at the same time as Cracker Jack came into being.
Cracker Jacks were a big hit at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. It was a molasses coated popcorn popcorn and peanut confection that was scooped out of a barrel.
Its creator was named F.W. Rueckheim. He was a German immigrant. He hadn’t given his product a name yet.
Then the stories vary, but about 1896 a salesman tasted the confection and said, “Now that’s a cracker jack!” The name stuck. The name “Cracker Jack appeared on the individual packages that sold for a nickel a piece.
The price didn’t change for more than 50 years. In 1912, a small prize was added to each box. Cracker Jacks is now an American tradition like apple pie and baseball!
Some fun Cracker Jack links for you to look at:
Cracker Jacks Collectors Association
Cracker Jack fan page
Cracker Jack prizes
Cracker Jack history
