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John Hetrick's Strawberry Surprise

Ice cream and oysters have each enjoyed a long popularity in York County eateries. A recent post quoted an 1845 ad announcing the grand opening of Gray's ice cream parlor, and ads for oysters abound. Click here for the ice cream post.

York folk artist Lewis Miller illustrated nineteenth century York County in detail. His drawing above catches a local citizen about to make a culinary mistake at Gray's restaurant. Miller accompanies the illustration with the following explanation:

What would we do without ice cream? Even though it was served previously, the popularity of ice cream increased in America in the 1840s. Perhaps this was because Nancy Johnson invented the crank-type ice cream freezer about that time.

According to the Gazette advertisement below, York provided a ready market in May 1845 for the cold, sweet concoction. Thomas Gray would even cater your ice cream party.