From the Little Falls Historical Society Archives
The Little Falls Evening Times
July 14, 1931

FLOATING “HOT DOG” STAND ON INGHAMS LAKE (KEYSER LAKE)

B. I. Lundstrom Converts Joke Into
Profitable Business Venture When
He Turns Home Made Raft Into
Cafeteria Craft.

Birger I. Lundstrom is branching out in the business world.  He is connected in an executive capacity with the enterprising C. J. Lundstrom Manufacturing company of this city, and to this position devotes much of his time, but as a sideline he has launched a floating hot dog and ice cream dispensary on Inghams Lake (Keyser Lake), which has been enthusiastically received by the flocks of bathers who congregate there.  His new venture started in this way:

The Lundstroms own a camp on the lake and Birger decided to construct a raft, or floating dock, to make for more fun and convenience in the water.  He tackled the task with the same determination that old Noah went about building his ark, while his friends “kidded” him about it.  One of them suggested, jokingly, that he could make money by selling hot dogs from the raft to the folks on the beach.  The suggestion was received in the same spirit that it was made, and Mr. Lundstrom decided that for the fun of it he would put the proposal into effect.  He went to work and embellished the crude craft by placing a railing around it, an awning over the top and installing an old stove.  In order to furnish power to propel his invention, he equipped it with a “kicker.”  Then taking a supply of ice cream, cold drinks, and palatable “puppies” aboard, he embarked for the beach.  Thus, it was that one day recently the bathers were surprised to see a strange craft lumbering toward them.  But those who came to laugh remained to eat and Mr. Lundstrom and his crew were kept busier than a bargain hunter on dollar day for a while.

Roy Oppell has charge of the canines aboard and knows just how to handle them.  Skipper Lundstrom is kept busy piloting the barge, which is no easy task for it sometimes behaves like a hippopotamus on a rampage. Nevertheless, it is bringing in the shekels and, if the business continues as good as it has been, Skipper Lundstrom may start a chain of floating cafeterias, placing one or more on every lake in Central New York.  His ship has been christened the “Pickle Boat”, because of the resemblance it bears to those craft that supply campers at many lake resorts with groceries and general merchandise.

Historical Note:  It is said that the “frankfurter” was first developed in Frankfurt, Germany in 1487, five years before Christopher Columbus discovered the new world.  Austrians also lay claim with their creation of the “wiener” in Vienna (Wien.)  Undoubtedly, the widespread art of making these sausages was brought to America by butchers from several European nationalities.  One report indicates a German immigrant sold sausages on a milk roll with sauerkraut in New York City in the 1860s.  A German baker opened the first sausage stand at Coney Island in 1871.  Legends abound on how the term “hot dog” got its name.  One version has the name appearing in Ivy league college magazines in the 1890s, and a mention that “dog wagons” sold “hot dogs” at the Yale dorms.  A better tale goes back to 1901 at the New York Polo Grounds baseball park when vendors selling sausages from portable hot water tanks shouted, “Red hot – get your dachshund sausages while they’re red hot!”  Nevertheless, the popularity of hot dogs didn’t take off until around 1915. Nathan Handwerker, a Polish immigrant was working at a small hot dog stand at Coney Island.  He saved his money, built his stand, and with his special recipe and competitive pricing (5 cents apiece) caused his new hot dog stand at Coney Island to soar in popularity.

Nathan’s Famous hot dog stands are today spread across the country and every 4th of July the Coney Island original location is the site of the annual hot dog competitive eating contest.  Joey Chestnut holds the record, eating 70 hot dogs (and buns) in ten minutes.  According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs every year – that’s almost 70 per person!  Chestnut did that in ten minutes!!