Cracker+Jacks

=__Cracker Jacks__= = =

History:
In 1872, A German immigrant named Frederick Rueckheim came to Chicago to help clean up the Great Chicago fire, also selling popcorn from a cart. Frederick and his brother, Louis, experimented with popcorn and the Cracker Jack was born. The mixture was made up of popcorn, peanuts, and molasses, and they aptly named it "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts."

Together, the Rueckheim brothers first mass-produced and sold their product at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and it was a big success. However, the concoction had one problem: the popcorn stuck together in chunks because of the molasses. So in 1896, Rueckheim came up with a solution by adding a small amount of oil to each batch as it was mixed in a large cement-mixer-like drum.

The Cracker Jack also earned its name in 1986, when an enthusiastic sampler exclaimed, "That's a Cracker Jack!" During this time, the phrase "crackerjack" was used much in the same way as "cool" or "awesome" are today.

In 1899, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein developed the "wax sealed package," which was known then as the "Eckstein Triple Proof Package." This revolutionary new paper package kept dust, germs, and moisture out. The company was reorganized as Rueckheim Bros. and Eckstein in 1902.

The Cracker Jack was immortalized in the popular song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," in 1908, featuring the lyrics, "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack."

Prizes were first included in Cracker Jack boxes in 1912. Since their introduction, prizes have ranged from small trinkets to baseball cards to riddles and jokes.





The mascots of Cracker Jack are Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo. These were introduced in 1918, based off of Rueckheim's nephew. However, they were not made official trademarks of the company until 1819.



The company was eventually sold to the Borden Food Corporation after a bidding war between Borden and Frito-Lay, and continued to be under the corporation for some time. In 1997, Borden suffered heavy losses and was forced to sell Cracker Jack to Frito-Lay. Cracker Jack continues to be owned by Frito Lay to this day.



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