"Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead (1907)

[Sam Clements]

While the obit says Mr. Dunham originated the "hokey-pokey or ice cream
brick," many of the ancestry hits I"ve found from 1890-1900 strongly say
that the "hokey-pokey" was what we know today as a "snow cone" or "shave
ice."   The OED cites are unclear.

I'll post more as I find it.

SC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Towse" <self at TOWSE.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 9:22 PM
Subject: Re: "Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead (1907)


> Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>
> >    Another ProQuest discovery.  A Google search of "Samuel Dunham" and
"hokey pokey" turns up nothing...TYPO ALERT: The previous "topeppo" post
should read "During," not "Curing."
>
> >       "Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead.
> >               The Washington Post  (1877-1954).       Washington, D.C.:
Oct 9, 1907.                   p. 11 (1 page):
> >    Burlington, N. J., Oct. 8.--Samuel A. Dunham, an aged citizen and
originator of the now widely popular "hokey-pokey," or ice cream brick, died
at his home here yesterday from heart disease.  Dunham laid by a snug
fortune before imitators spoiled his trade.  He took pride in being styled
the "original hokey-pokey man."
>
> >       SAMUEL F. DUNHAM DEAD.
> >        Special to The New York Times..       New York Times
(1857-Current file).       New York, N.Y.: Oct 8, 1907.                   p.
11 (1 page):
> > _SAMUEL F. DUNHAM DEAD._
> > _He Was the Inventor of the "Hokey Pokey" or Ice Cream Brick._
> >       _Special to The New York Times._
> >    BURLINGTON, N. J., Oct. 7.--Samuel F. Dunham, an aged citizen and
originator of the now widely popular "hokey-pokey," or ice cream brick, died
at his home here to-day of heart disease.
> >    Dunham conceived the idea of selling ice cream in cake form for a
penny and laid by a snug fortune before imitators broke into his trade.  He
lived, however, to see the business he invented become a great industry, and
took just pride in being styled "the original hokey-pokey man."
> >
> > (If the WASHINGTON POST is going to steal the article from the NEW YORK
TIMES and not give any credit, can't we at least be consistent with his
middle initial?--ed.)
>
> I searched "hokey pokey" and "Samuel Dunham" and, just like Barry sez,
> found nothing. Messin' around with the search terms, though, I found
> this: <http://www.littlebookroom.com/historicshopsNY.html>
>
> "It didn't take New Yorkers long to acquire a taste for ice cream after
> first lady Dolley Madison popularized it early in the nineteenth
> century, when she served it at her husband's inauguration. By 1850,
> Italian vendors called "hokey-pokey" men made their way through the
> streets of the city selling the chilled sweet stuff from small wagons
> that were pulled by goats."
>
> Hokey-pokey and ice-cream were linked terms long before Sam was born.
> Question is: Why were the Italian ice-cream vendors called "hokey-pokey"
> men? Because their goats were recalcitrant?
>
> --
> Sal
>
> Ye olde swarm of links: 4K+ links for writers, researchers and the
> terminally curious <http://www.internet-resources.com/writers>
>