

Robert, the son of a third and eldest Rueckheim brother, Edward, died of pneumonia shortly after his image appeared at the age of 8. Sailor Jack was modeled after Robert Rueckheim, nephew of Frederick and Louis Rueckheim. Mascots “Sailor Jack” and his dog “Bingo” were introduced in 1918 and registered as a trademark in 1919.
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“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”, a song written by lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer, gave Cracker Jack free publicity when it was released in 1908 with the line: “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack!” In 1922, the name of the Chicago company was changed to The Cracker Jack Company. In 1902, the company was reorganized as Rueckheim Bros. In 1899, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein developed the “waxed sealed package” for freshness, known then as the “Eckstein Triple Proof Package”, a dust-proof, germ-proof, and moisture-proof paper package. It was named by an enthusiastic sampler who remarked: “That's a crackerjack!” (a colloquialism meaning “of excellent quality”). In 1896, the first lot of Cracker Jack was produced, the same year the name was registered. Before this change, the mixture had been difficult to handle, as it stuck together in chunks. As each batch was mixed in a cement-mixer-like drum, a small quantity of oil was added - a closely guarded trade secret.

In 1896, Louis discovered a method to separate the kernels of molasses coated popcorn during the manufacturing process. No evidence is known, however, that Rueckheim had an exhibit at the Columbian Exposition. According to legend - an urban myth propagated to promote the brand by Borden Foods-states that Rueckheim produced a popcorn confection and presented it to the public at the World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago's first world's fair) in 1893. In 1873, Fritz bought out his partner, Brinkmeyer, and brought his brother Louis Rueckheim over from Germany to join in his venture, forming the company F.W. The popcorn was made by hand using steam equipment. A Little History About The Cracker Jack Company and Cracker Jack “Prizes” įrederick William Rueckheim - a German immigrant known informally as “Fritz” - sold popcorn at 113 Fourth Avenue, now known as Federal Street, in Chicago beginning in 1871.
