A burger war - and not the fast-food type - seems to have gotten underway lately, if we're to believe a recent report from the Associated Press. A Texas state legislator is asserting that Athens, Texas is the birthplace of the hamburger. The owners of Louis' Lunch, a New Haven, Connecticut restaurant, beg to differ, claiming that they devised the first burger.
New Haven also lays claim to being the birthplace of the cotton gin, rubber tires, the corkscrew, the Frisbee, lollipops, Erector Sets and pizza. Wow. Who knew?
Speaking of burgers, be sure not to miss our entries on the reigning hamburger-eating champ and what may very well be the world's largest commercially available hamburger.
What came first the broiler or the hamburger sandwich?
One day in the year 1900 a businessman dashed into a small New Haven lunch wagon and pleaded for a lunch to go. Louis Lassen, the establishment's owner, hurriedly sandwiched a broiled beef patty between two slices of bread and sent the customer on his way, so the story goes, with America's first hamburger being served.
William Perkins was issued a U.S. Patent #408,136 on July 30, 1889 while working for the New Haven Wire Goods Co. 256 Water St. New Haven, CT for a gridiron used to broil meat. His application was filed October 22, 1888. Louis' Lunch wagon was located on Meadow St. between 1895 and 1907 and Meadow St. is just around the corner from the New Haven Wire Goods Co. factory on Water St.
Luigi Pieragostini worked for the reorganized New Haven Wire Goods Co. then called American Steel & Wire Co. in New Haven. Luigi improved on Perkins' broiler and received three U.S. Patents for his work, the first U.S. patent was # 2,148,879 issued on February 28, 1939. Pieragostini designed his broiler to be used specifically for the vertical stove. These gas powered 1898 Bridge, Beach & Co. Stoves were manufactured by the Bridge & Beach Manufacturing Co. started as a foundry on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO in 1837. Cast iron is time stamped when it is manufactured and the 1898 date is clearly visible on the ancient stoves used at Louis' Lunch today. Luigi Pieragostini (patent issued to son Tazio) invented the first hinged broiler designed specifically for use in vertical stoves to allow for the meat to be cooked on both sides at the same time. The vertical broiler cooked the meat faster & more evenly and left the meat juicier. It also used less counter space than conventional stoves.
Posted by: Thomas Pieragostini | January 21, 2007 at 08:38 PM