Origin of "iced tea"

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

     "So much tea is consumed here year-round that you might even call iced
tea 'the national beverage of Texas.'  Historically, it is called 'ice' tea
in Texas.  Iced tea was created by an Indian tea merchant who couldn't sell
his hot tea at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904."
--"Tea Pleasures," HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 26 July 1995.

    The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 gave the world the hot dog, the
hamburger, the ice cream cone, and iced tea.  The merchant of Indian tea
(rather than "Indian tea merchant," for he's not Indian) was Richard
Blechynden.  Everyone knows this--it's a fact.  You don't question facts.
    It's been in the Wall Street Journal (15 June 1991), the New Orleans
Times-Picayune (23 May 1996), and the St. Louis Post-DIspatch (23 September
1996), so it's gotta be true!
    The following is from the Making of America database:

LADIES' REPOSITORY, January 1852, pg. 34, col. 1:  Throughout the summer,
ices are sold in the streets of every Russian town; and, not only iced water,
iced wine, and iced beer, but even iced tea is drank in immense quantities.

APPLETONS' JOURNAL, 26 July 1873, pg. 102, col. 2:  I am going to order some
iced tea at once.  How refreshing it is to get home after such a day!--Don't
you think it is very warm, Mr. Martindale?

APPLETONS' JOURNAL, 1 November 1873, pg. 549, col. 3:  I told him that, if we
were _very_ good, perhaps you would give us some iced tea and
bread-and-butter.

LADIES' REPOSITORY, April 1874, pg. 314, col. 1:  ...drank iced tea...

APPLETONS' JOURNAL, 3 October 1874 ("American Summer Resorts--Long Branch,
Part VII), pg. 431, col. 2:  ...toast and iced tea...

APPLETONS' JOURNAL, 16 October 1875 ("The Little Joanna" story), pg. 486,
col. 3:  "I'll send some iced tea out to you after a while, if you will have
it."  (...)  "Thank you," said Anita; "I like iced tea."
pg. 487, col. 2:  "I do enjoy a cup of iced tea."

APPLETONS' JOURNAL, 23 October 1875 ("The Little Joanna" story), pg. 520,
col. 2:  ...sipped iced tea on the veranda.