Merchant Laclede Building

Historical marker location:

299 North 4th Street, Saint Louis, Missouri

( Marker is at the intersection of North 4th Street and Olive Street, on the left when traveling north on North 4th Street.)

The state of Missouri was the birthplace of the ice cream cone. It was invented by a Syrian immigrant named Ernest Hamwi who was selling waffles at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. When an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes, Hamwi rolled up one of his waffles to hold the ice cream and the ice cream cone was born.