Historical Marker
Henry Herkstroeter Building
Historical marker location:
219A West Main Street, Washington, Missouri
( Marker is on West Main Street east of Elm Street, on the right when traveling west.)
Marker installed: 2011
1879.
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.