Joplin World War II Memorial

Historical marker location:

212 West 8th Street, Joplin, Missouri

( Marker is at the intersection of Joplin Avenue and West 8th Street, on the right when traveling south on Joplin Avenue.)

Marker installed: 1947

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.