Eskimo Pie Ice Cream

Eskimo Pie ice cream is great brand name of a chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar wrapped in foil, the first such dessert sold in the United States.

Danish immigrant Christian K. Nelson, a schoolteacher and also candy store owner, claimed to have been received the inspiration for the Eskimo Pie in 1920 (in Iowa) when a boy in his store was actually unable to decide whether to spend his money on ice cream maker or a chocolate bar. After experimenting with all different ways to adhere melted chocolate to bricks of the ice cream cone, Nelson began selling his invention through under the name "I-Scream Bars." In the year 1921, he filed for a patent and the secured an agreement with good chocolate manufacturer Russell Stover to mass-produce them under the new trademarked name called "Eskimo Pie." After patent 1,403,539 was issued on January 24, 1922, Nelson franchised product, allowing ice cream manufacturers to produce them under those name. The patent was invalidated in year 1929.

Related Company History

Stover sold off his share of the business. Nelson became independently good wealthy off the royalties from the sale of the Eskimo Pies.

Nelson then sold his share of business to the United States Foil Company, which actually made the Eskimo Pie wrappers. He retired at a very young age, but reportedly out of boredom rejoined what was then known as Reynolds Metals Company (now part of Alcoa) in the year 1935, inventing new methods of the manufacturing and shipping Eskimo Pies and serving as an executive until his ultimate retirement in year 1961.

In 1992, Nelson expired at the age of 99. In that same year, Eskimo Pie Corporation was spun off from the Reynolds in an initial public offering, as an alternative to the acquisition that Nestlé had proposed in the year 1991.

Eskimo Pie brand confectionery is still sold today by the Cool Brands International, which acquired Eskimo Pie Corporation in 2000.