Istorie
After 1997, this Cretors Wagon was subjected to a complete restoration. During this process, it was completely disassembled, cleaned, and repainted. The steam engine was rebuilt, and after a two-year search, an original steam popper was eventually found in Washington State. It took so long to find one, because most surviving Cretors wagons were converted to electric poppers. The crystalline art glass signs were restored, and the body and ceiling were pinstriped and detailed. It is now fully functional using the original steam method. A correct Cretors miniature clown is also present.
Full description
Charles Cretors was a confectioner in Decator, Illinois. He was also something of a showman and arranged his shop so passersby could watch the candy being made. Then, disappointed with a steam-powered peanut roaster he bought, he designed his own and set it up in a cart out front.
The Cretors could roast peanuts, coffee and chestnuts while making popcorn. Charles took one to the Midway of Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition, where its aromas tantalized the crowd.
By 1910, C. Cretors & Co. was building the Model D Popcorn and Peanut Wagon, an upscale version designed to be hauled by a pair of horses. Cretors vending wagons were painted in bright colors and lettered in gold leaf. All trim was polished nickel, and the glass was bevel-edged. The “Peanut and Popcorn” signage was comprised of bevel-edged mirrors with reverse-etched decorations and painted letters.
And it wasn’t long before a horseless counterpart arrived. The year 1915 was Big Time for the U.S. automotive industry, with more than 850,000 passenger cars produced. Among 160,000 trucks were nine Cretors Popcorn and Peanut Wagons.
Popcorn and Peanut Wagons are used today in Disney and other amusement venues around the world. And, indeed, these are replicas built by the same C. Cretors & Co, today a leader in designing and manufacturing equipment for food processing, food service and concessions. It’s in its sixth generation of family ownership.
The company’s slogan, most appropriate, is “We invented the Popcorn Machine, then Just Kept Going.”
This particular wagon was originally purchased by Robert Holmes of Port Edward, Wisconsin, on April 10th, 1926, for $2,200. It is reported to have been in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, area before being sold to an owner in Havana, Illinois. He attended county fairs in the region with the wagon, particularly Oktoberfest celebrations in his home town.
After 1997, the Wagon was subjected to a complete restoration. During this process, it was completely disassembled, cleaned, and repainted. The steam engine was rebuilt, and after a two-year search, an original steam popper was eventually found in Washington State. It took so long to find one, because most surviving Cretors wagons were converted to electric poppers. The crystalline art glass signs were restored, and the body and ceiling were pinstriped and detailed. It is now fully functional using the original steam method. A correct Cretors miniature clown is also present.
