Wonderland Park: Milwaukee's Coney Island

This amusement park, which had several names over the years, was open between 1910 and 1916. It was located on the site of today's Hubbard Park in Shorewood. The park was advertised to be just like Coney Island in New York City and drew in thousands of visitors each year,

Milk ice cream is a major product in the Diary State of Wisconsin, Owned by a local Milwaukee family business, the Luick company was famous for their ice cream. The company was responsible for making vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry the three "standard" flavors. The Luick company developed new machinery which allowed Soda Jerks to mix fruit and nuts into the ice cream and create unique "flavors of the day."

Green River was a lime-flavored soda originally made by the Schoenhofen Company as a non-alcoholic product for prohibition. Throughout Milwaukee and the Midwest, the drink was extremely popular - trailing only Coca-Cola. Green River was sold in ice cream soda shops and is still being sold today at the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. 

The Eskimo Pie ice cream dessert was created by Christian Nelson of Onawa, Iowa in 1920. He was inspired to create the treat after seeing his son debate if he should spend his allowance on ice cream or a chocolate bar. Nelson originally called the dessert the "I-Scream Bar" before Russel Stover, a famous confectioner, convinced Nelson to change the name. 

The Campfire Marshmallow Company was founded in 1917 in Milwaukee. They used marshmallows in ice cream for toppings and whipped sauces. In 1919 they were the first to introduce the classic "round" marshmallow - they found it folded better while mixing into the ice cream. In 1939, the Campfire Marshmallow was used in the first Rice Krispie Treats 

When Wonderland Park was in operation, the straws used with the sodas were made from paper. Consumer plastics were not popularized until after World War II. Prior to then, paper straws were used out of necessity. Currently, history repeats itself with the comeback of paper straws, this time as a conservation effort against single-use plastics.

The A.C. Gilbert Company was an American toy manufacturer, nest known for introducing the basic motor, which was used in products like hand-mixers and vacuums. In ice cream shops, Soda Jerks mixed milkshakes with a Gilbert machine. The power yet compact motor easily allowed for the incorporation of different flavors and mix-ins to the ice cream.

Blommer's was originally a Milwaukee brand of ice cream which was popular within soda shops. Soda jerks would package the ice cream into Bloomer's signature cardboard containers so that customers could bring their ice cream home, as around this time, more homes were becoming equipped with "cold storage units," or refrigerators. 

Thompson's Malt was founded in Milwaukee in the late 19th century. Thompson's used barley malt to add thickness to drinks and to create a "wholesome, delicious food." The company moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin at the turn of the century. School children would carry their families' milk to the Waukesha facility in the morning and then return to pick up the empty buckets on their way home. In 1945, Thompson's was purchased by Borden's.