Local Ice Cream Socials to Mark Missouri Statehood Bicentennial

(Joplin, MO) – On behalf of the Joplin Celebrations Commission, residents in Joplin, Webb City, and Carthage will be joining other communities across the state to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood. Missouri became the twenty-fourth state of the union on August 10, 1821.

On Tuesday, August 10, the Missouri Bicentennial organizers have asked communities across the state to hold local Bicentennial commemorations in the form of ice cream socials.

Joplin will have four ice cream socials throughout the day to mark the Missouri Bicentennial, with Webb City and Carthage having separate events.

We appreciate and recognize the area Braum’s locations for being the official ice cream providers of the Joplin, Carl Junction, Neosho, Webb City, and Carthage, Missouri Bicentennial Ice Cream Socials.

 Joplin #1 – Downtown Midday Social @ Spiva Park

• Location: Spiva Park, 4th and Main Street, Downtown Joplin
• Hours: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Toppings: Chocolate and caramel.
• Other Activities: Cornhole, chalk, bubbles, and giant Jenga.

Joplin #2 – Neighborhood One in Historic Murphysburg

• Location: Gustave Kleinkauf House, 523 S. Sergeant Avenue, Murphysburg
• Hours: 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
• Toppings: Chocolate, caramel, strawberry, and sprinkles.
• Other Activities: Lawn bowling, scavenger hunt tour, and chalk art.

Joplin #3 – Neighborhood Two in North Heights

• Location: Neighborhood Lifehouse, 516 N. Wall Avenue, Joplin
• Hours: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
• Toppings: Chocolate, caramel, strawberry, and sprinkles.
• Other Activities: Cornhole, bubbles, music, and sidewalk chalk.

Joplin #4 – Evening Social @ Bookhouse Cinema

• Location: Bookhouse Cinema Patio & Theater, 715 E. Broadway, Joplin
• Hours: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
• Toppings: Sprinkles, plus non-dairy ice cream alternative available.
• Other Activities: Showing of the documentary The World’s Great Fair from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Webb City Ice Cream Social

• Location: Route 66 Welcome Center, 21 S. Webb Avenue, Webb City
• Hours: 10:00 am; open until servings are gone.
• Toppings: Wide selection.
• Other Activities: Route 66 Inspiration. Drive-thru service available!

Carthage Ice Cream Social

• Location: Central Park, 714 S. Garrison Avenue, Carthage
• Hours: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
• Toppings: Wide selection of treats.
• Other Activities: Live music.

Carl Junction Ice Cream Social

• Location: Main Street, Carthage
• Hours: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
• Toppings: Wide selection of treats.
• Other Activities: Food, games, music and family entertainment

Neosho Ice Cream Social

• Location: Scenic Park, 1500 N. Main Avenue, Neosho
• Hours: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
• Toppings: Wide selection of treats.
• Other Activities: Live music, debut and ribbon cutting for the “Nature’s Treasures” mural.

The History That Led Us to 200 Years:

The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from France in 1803. Louisiana became the 18th U.S. state on April 30, 1812; the Territory of Orleans became the State of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Territory was simultaneously renamed the Missouri Territory.

The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821. In 1819, the Territory of Arkansas was created from a portion of its southern area. In 1821, a southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri, and the rest became unorganized territory for several years, until the territory became individual states.

In 1821 Missouri was admitted as the 24th state, with the state capital temporarily located in Saint Charles until a permanent capital could be built. Missouri was the first state entirely west of the Mississippi River to be admitted to the Union. The state capital moved to Jefferson City in 1826. Missouri was the 2nd state to receive statehood out of the Louisiana Territory.

We celebrate the bicentennial with ice cream because of the ice cream cone’s debut in St. Louis in 1904.

The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903.

Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair by Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire.

Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry – zalabis – in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice cream’s popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes. Hamwi saw an easy solution to the ice cream vendor’s problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy, and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution that it is today.

St. Louis, a foundry town, quickly capitalized on the cone’s success. Enterprising people invented special baking equipment for making the World’s Fair cornucopia cones. Stephen Sullivan of Sullivan, Missouri was one of the first known independent operators in the ice cream cone business. In 1906, Sullivan served ice cream cones (or cornucopias, as they were still called) at the Modern Woodmen of America Frisco Log Rolling in Sullivan, Missouri. At the same time, Hamwi was busy with the Cornucopia Waffle Company, in 1910, he founded the Missouri Cone Company, later known as the Western Cone Company.

In 2008, Senate Bill No. 911 was passed by the 94th Missouri General Assembly designating the ice cream cone as the official dessert of the state of Missouri.

Reference: 

Patrick Tuttle, Director
Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau
417.625.4791