When Frank Epperson was 11, he took a wooden stir stick, placed it in soda pop and placed it outside one wintry New York evening. As noted in a previous column, Frank enjoyed the frozen treat the next day. In 1923, Frank used a birch tongue depressor to hold the frozen delight. He applied for a patent for his “frozen ice on a stick,” calling it the “Epsicle Ice Pop.” Frank’s children encouraged him to change the name to “Popsicle.” He later sold his idea to the Joe Lowe Co. Good Humor Ice Cream now holds the rights. During the Great Depression, two Popsicles were joined together and named “Twin Popsicles.” In addition, Popsicle sticks have been used for a variety of arts and crafts projects. Fastcast: Thunder.
