The Good Humor Man

In the early 1920s, Harry Burt (1875-1926), an ice cream parlor owner and candy maker from Youngstown, Ohio, created a chocolate that would solidify when contacting solid ice cream bars. He added a wooden stick to the ice cream bar, making it less messy to consume. Burt thought of an ingenious way to distribute the ice cream bars beyond the confines of his ice cream parlor. He outfitted 12 trucks with primitive freezers and bells from his son's bobsled and took to the streets. By the mid-1930s, Good Humor covered most of the country. A Good Humor man might be found pedaling around a neighborhood behind a "tricycle freezer" or pushing an ice cream cart. In those early days, Good Humor men were required to tip their hats to ladies and salute gentlemen. It took three days of training and orientation to become a "Good Humor Man." It was a fixture in American culture in the 1950s when the company operated up to 2,000 delivery trucks. 

Another national brand went one-up on the competition. Mister Softee was known for dispensing soft-serve ice cream cones or shakes from a modified delivery van. Their "music box" melodies were another defining element. But for many communities, this individual service gave way to individually wrapped frozen treats that one could get at any grocer. It was simple not as fun, though.

A detailed history of Good Humor can be found here.