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Lifestyle

Hamburgers, a history: How a small Wisconsin town got credit for birth of the burger

Less than a half-hour west of Lambeau Field, where the Green Bay Packers play, Charlie Nagreen’s name is equally well known as those of legends like Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr and Brett Favre.In downtown Seymour, a 14-foot statue of Nagreen towers above Depot Street. But that’s not a football he’s holding in his left hand — it’s a hamburger. By most accounts, Nagreen made his mark on history as the first person to sell a simple sandwich of a ground beef patty, onions and pickle between two slices of bread.Advertisement“Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen is immortalized in a 14-foot statue prominently displayed along Depot Street in Seymour, Wisconsin, about 20 miles west of Green Bay. (Seymour Community Historical Society)These days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat about 50 billion burgers each year. And while warmer weather has home chefs firing up their grills for Memorial Day weekend, few know the humble hamburger’s origins are right here in the Midwest.In the summer of 1885, Charlie Nagreen was just 15 years old when he drove his ox cart 24 miles — from Hortonville to Seymour — to erect a wooden stand at the Outagamie County Fair. From that stall, he intended to sell meatballs on sticks to fairgoers. But the meatballs weren’t selling very well; people said they were too difficult to eat on the go. The youthful entrepreneur then decided to smash the meatballs into patties and add bread, making them much more convenient to munch on while moving from exhibit to exhibit.AdvertisementThe hamburger was born.“There’s no need to search, there’s no need to roam. You’re in Seymour. It’s the hamburger’s home,” Bill Collar, president of the Seymour Community Historical Society, says with pride. A trip to Seymour, about four hours north of Chicago, offers visitors an intriguing museum, much of it devoted to hamburgers. Top that off with Burger Fest each August, plus several taverns at which to enjoy a beer and a burger, and you’ve got a perfect summer escape.“Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen first sold hamburgers at the Outagamie County Fair in Seymour, Wisconsin, in 1885. He continued the tradition for 66 years. (Seymour Community Historical Society)Seymour isn’t the only town that lays claim to inventing the hamburger. But history favors the Wisconsin burg, since it’s well documented that Nagreen, who was known for decades as “Hamburger Charlie,” sold his first burgers in 1885, at least a few years before they appeared elsewhere.Dressed in a white shirt, pants, apron and hat, with red suspenders and tie, Charlie was a popular fixture at county fairs in northeast Wisconsin. He peddled his burgers in Seymour for 66 years, until 1950, the summer before he died.For years, locals including Collar have donned the same outfit to mingle with visitors to this town of 3,200 and recite Nagreen’s famous chant.“Hamburger, hamburger, hamburger hot. With an onion in the middle and a pickle on top. Makes your lips go flippity-flop. Come on over, try an order. Fried in butter, listen to it sputter,” he would begin, then add, “It’s a big pat of beef packed in a bun. And you can eat it on the run.”Guests to the Seymour Community Museum (133 Depot St., Seymour; 920-833-9835; seymourhistory.org) are often greeted by Collar, who’s only too happy to share the history of the hamburger, from its 19th century roots to modern-day kitsch.Bill Collar needs both hands to hold one whopper of a hamburger. Carved from wood and hand-painted, the giant burger is on display in the community museum in Seymour, Wisconsin, dubbed the home of the hamburger. (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)AdvertisementMuseum-goers find themselves surrounded by glass cases full of Nagreen artifacts, and hamburger memorabilia from the collection of Jeffrey Tennyson, an artist and author of “Hamburger Heaven: The Illustrated History of the Hamburger.”“Never mind apple pie. Forget about hot dogs,” he wrote in the preface to his book. “The hamburger is our all-time favorite food.”When Tennyson died in 2006, he left his collection to the Seymour museum. As The New York Times noted, it included “hamburger juggling sets, hamburger teapots, hamburger cookie jars and hamburger salt-and-pepper shakers, along with the predictable posters and photographs of hamburgers.” Roughly 500 to 600 of his nearly 2,000 mementos are on display at any given time.The list of items goes on and on. There’s a hamburger-shaped, push-button telephone — “it actually works,” Collar notes — and a local craftsman’s gift to the museum: a hand-sculpted wooden whopper of a cheeseburger. Nearly a foot in diameter, it’s replete with lettuce, tomato and mayo, all realistically carved and painted.AdvertisementHalf a block from the museum is the statue of Hamburger Charlie. Just across the street, topped with a giant burger, is the actual grill used to cook the world’s largest hamburger at the 2001 Burger Fest. Rectangular in shape, it weighs 8,266 pounds.A 2007 proclamation from the Wisconsin legislature deemed Seymour the “original home of the hamburger.” One year earlier, the town pleaded its case in a mock trial destined to determine which American community deserved those bragging rights.Seymour, Wisconsin, proudly proclaims itself as the “Home of the Hamburger,” The small town about a half-hour drive from Green Bay is where the first hamburgers were sold at a county fair in 1885. (Jay Jones/for the Chicago Tribune)The trial was held on the infield of a minor-league baseball park in Akron, Ohio, one of the cities claiming it had invented the hamburger. New Haven, Connecticut; Athens, Texas; and, of course, Seymour presented evidence before a retired judge and a mock jury.“They deliberated for about 20 or 30 minutes and it was a hung jury. They could not make a decision,” says Collar, who appeared at the trial dressed as Hamburger Charlie.“They decided to turn it over to the Internet and have a vote,” he continues. “Seymour won the vote overwhelmingly.”While the museum is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day (and other times by appointment), Seymour really sizzles during Burger Fest (920-833-6688; homeofthehamburger.org) each summer. All the fixings will beckon Aug. 12-14, with activities including a hot-air balloon launch, a 5K “bun run,” a big parade and — what else? — a burger-eating contest. In an ode to a popular condiment, guests can also test their athletic skills on the “ketchup slide,” a long sheet of plastic coated with a mixture of ketchup and water.Advertisement“The current record is (a slide of) 220 feet,” Collar says.The local historian also pointed out that, for the festival, the “authentic Charlie hamburger,” prepared simply with onions and pickle, is served.That Charlie Burger is on the menu year-round at Foreman’s Bar and Grill (239 N. Main St., Seymour; 920-504-4080). However, in an ode to one of Wisconsin’s best-known products, a slice of American cheese is added. It’s served with a side of fries for $10. Collar says in 1855, Nagreen sold his burger for 10 cents, but without the fries.Between bites at Foreman’s, Collar continues to recite more of what he calls “all kinds of evidence” that Seymour is justifiably number one in hamburgers, making it unlikely anywhere else will be stealing the burger king’s crown.To make an appointment to visit the museum, call Bill Collar at 920-833-6064. While admission is free, a donation of $5 per family is encouraged.Jay Jones is a freelance writer.

Sports

Dylan Cease has his worst start of the season in the Chicago White Sox’s 16-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox

Enrique Hernández hit Dylan Cease’s first pitch over the left-field wall.It was the start of a tough Tuesday for Cease and the Chicago White Sox.AdvertisementCease had his roughest outing of the season in a 16-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox in front of 21,835 at Guaranteed Rate Field.The right-hander allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits in a season-low three innings. He had four strikeouts and two walks.Advertisement“We’re going to have to take some time, look into it,” Cease said. “They put some good swings on it.”[ [Don’t miss] Tim Anderson is ready to move on from Josh Donaldson’s attempt to provoke him: ‘I’m not looking for friendship’ ]The White Sox allowed season highs in runs and hits (19). The Red Sox also recorded season highs in both categories while stretching their winning streak to six.“You take 30-some starts and you are going to have some where your location is not good,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said, “and he just wasn’t sharp and they were ready to hit and made him pay.“The pitches that they put in play, they had a lot of the strike zone. So he just wasn’t as sharp and we got him out before he threw too many. He’s coming back in five days against the Cubs.”Cease came in leading the majors with 67 strikeouts. Eight of them came in a May 7 start at Fenway Park in which he allowed one run on four hits in five innings in a game the White Sox won 3-1 in 10 innings.He was an out away from escaping the first with just the one run. But Trevor Story, who was named American League Player of the Week on Monday, connected for a three-run homer to make it 4-0.The Red Sox scored at least once in each of the first five innings. They scored two in the second and one in the third against Cease, who exited after 71 pitches.“They definitely had some comfortable swings in there,” Cease said.AdvertisementThe Red Sox also had success against relievers José Ruiz (three runs in two-thirds of an inning), Bennett Sousa (five runs in two-thirds of an inning) and Matt Foster (one run in two-thirds of an inning).[ [Don’t miss] Luis Robert goes on the COVID injured list, and the center fielder might miss the entire Chicago White Sox homestand ]The White Sox surrendered four home runs. All nine Red Sox starters had at least one hit, and seven had more than one. Eight starters had at least one RBI.“(Hernández’s homer) was good because (Cease) is really, really good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He had his way against us in Boston. It was really nice from top to bottom.”Vince Velasquez provided the first scoreless — and 1-2-3 — inning of the night for the White Sox in the sixth. It was the right-hander’s first time working out of the bullpen this season after making seven starts. He walked one and struck out five in three hitless innings.“Vince was outstanding and we got a (scoreless ninth) inning for (Aaron) Bummer, so it wasn’t a total loss tonight,” La Russa said. “Vince really threw the ball well. He wants to start, but evidently he can pitch in that role if we had to.”White Sox reliever Vince Velasquez pitches during the sixth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in six innings. He retired the first nine before a leadoff double by Tim Anderson in the fourth. Anderson had two hits and one RBI, and José Abreu hit a two-run homer.AdvertisementThe homer and Anderson’s fifth-inning single were the Sox’s only hits with runners in scoring position (2-for-10).“(Pivetta) got us out,” La Russa said. “Give him credit.”Cease was already focused on the steps needed to improve for his next start.“I’ll be upset tonight,” he said, “and then I’ll be back and ready tomorrow, ready to work on it.”

Sports

Chicago Sky celebrate their 2021 WNBA championship with a ring ceremony and banner raising on a somber day

James Wade is usually focused on the day-to-day, but Tuesday night was an exception for the Chicago Sky coach and general manager.Wade woke up at 5:30 a.m., excited to celebrate his team’s first WNBA championship. His elation evaporated when he found out while heading into Wintrust Arena that at least 19 children and two adults had been killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.AdvertisementWade said during a brief pregame news conference that all he could do was be strong for his team.“It’s a tough situation,” he said after the Sky’s 95-90 win against the Indiana Fever. “There is a lot of stuff that is bigger than basketball. They were two days away from going on summer vacation and there were parents who were planning trips. It’s tough. It’s just tough.”AdvertisementAfter a moment of silence 30 minutes before tipoff, the Sky’s ring ceremony began with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert introducing the team’s front office. She handed each of them a championship ring at center court before principal owner Michael Alter gave a speech to the 4,100 fans in attendance.The players were then introduced one by one, emerging from the tunnel to an electric crowd before receiving their rings.The Sky’s Candace Parker arrives with her children, Airr Petrakov Parker, left, and Lailaa Williams, right, to get her championship ring on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at Wintrust Arena. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Candace Parker — who finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists — walked onto the court with her 3-month-old son, Airr Petrakov Parker, in one arm and held her daughter Lailaa Williams’ hand in the other. The biggest fan reaction came when 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper was introduced after Parker.It was the first time the Sky players had seen the design of the rings.“I love them,” said Allie Quigley, who scored 12 points in 29 minutes. “I think they are perfect. I want to wear them all the time, but I trust myself to just keep it somewhere safe.”Wade had input into the design, which features the words “WNBA CHAMPIONS” across the top and bottom with the Willis Tower displayed prominently in between. Along the side of each ring are images of the John Hancock Center, the Bean and the Water Tower.Chicago Sky championship ring commemorating the Sky’s 2021 WNBA championship at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Encapsulating the spirit of Chicago was important to Wade after the team asked for his input.“I was pretty involved,” he said. “I knew what the ring looked like before the players and wanted to put the Bean and other landmarks. It was really cool to be a part of it and I think it turned out OK.”AdvertisementThe celebration concluded with the players gathering to watch the Sky’s first banner raised.It was a long road for the Sky to get to this point. After months of playing overseas and waiting for the full team to convene, they were glad the celebration finally could commence.“I’m really proud of that,” Courtney Vandersloot said. “That’s one of the reasons why I stayed here for so long because we were building something I believed in and wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to help build it. To see us at the pinnacle of last year after all the ups and downs, it speaks volumes about this franchise.”Vandersloot and Quigley, her wife, are the longest-tenured players on the Sky. They knew better than anyone not to take this moment for granted after seeing the franchise at its lowest points.“So many memories come back when thinking (about her time with the Sky),” Quigley said during the shootaround. “I’ve been going through that a lot this past year, from winning to the offseason, about the last 10 years. It’s going to be good to see that banner raised and know that it is always going to be there.”[ [Don’t miss] It took 10 years, but the Chicago Sky’s Rebekah Gardner is relishing her 1st WNBA chance as a 31-year-old rookie ]The Sky overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to improve to 4-2. Parker became the fourth player in league history to finish a game with at least 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks. In the previous game versus the Washington Mystics, Parker posted her second career triple-double.AdvertisementAfter hinting at retirement before the season opener, Parker’s game has been in top form early in the season. Asked earlier in the day if there’s anything else she’s looking to accomplish before retiring, Parker said: “100%. When I wake up and there isn’t that desire to keep going, that’s when I know I will be done.”Another celebration will take place in Chicago when the Sky host the WNBA All-Star Game on July 10. It’s the first time the team will host the midseason festivities, and Engelbert was ecstatic before the game about another big market getting its turn in the spotlight. “Think about Chicago in July,” she said. “This city last year after this championship totally adopted this team. Not only for our All-Stars but all of Chicago will show up. We already have received enormous support from the city and everybody is excited to hold it here.”

Lifestyle

Ask Amy: Man wants to report long-ago sexual exploitation

Dear Amy: My sister-in-law recently died of Alzheimer’s, and her celebration of life is coming up.I am an older man. When I was a youth, I had to reside with her and my brother for the summer. My mother was institutionalized due to mental illness; my father had abandoned the family.AdvertisementAt the time I was living with the two of them, I was 15.My brother’s house was small. I slept in the small living room on the couch.AdvertisementMy brother was an alcoholic and he would go to sleep early every night. My sister-in-law (then 25 years old) would stay up late and talk to me.She was very lonely and disappointed that my brother was always emotionally missing in action for her.We grew close, and eventually a sexual relationship developed.I went to a military school to escape the household, as I was afraid my brother would find out.Now there is to be a celebration of life for her and I, along with many others, have been invited to share anecdotes about her life.I have decided to tell the truth at the ceremony about what happened to me, but my wife is totally opposed to it.She refuses to accompany me, saying that to tell now will cause a major disturbance within the remaining family and that no one will believe me or ever speak to me again.What should I do?Advertisement– TornDear Torn: I can tell by your narrative how trapped you were in this situation, and my heart breaks that you were exploited in this way. Your late sister-in-law’s actions amount to sexual exploitation of a minor who had nowhere else to turn, and no one to protect him.If you want to tell your story, then you should tell it. However – disclosing this publicly at a funeral is not the place to tell it.Understand that this story will likely completely blindside others in attendance. They will not know how to react, and – generally when people don’t know how to react, they don’t react particularly well.Unfortunately, your wife could be right about how your family members will take this. I wish that she were more supportive regarding your need to deal with this honestly and openly.It would be wisest for you to seek counseling before confronting this issue with family members.AdvertisementAn estimated 1 in 6 men have experienced what the organization “1in6″ defines as “unwanted sexual experiences.” Their website is informative, helpful and supportive. Check 1in6.org for more.Dear Amy: My neighbors and I both have daughters who go to an outdoor pool for their swim team three times a week.My wife and I are the only people who drive the girls to and from their activities.It has been this way for months.We asked the other parents (our neighbors) to help with the pickup, but they refused – saying that it interferes with their evening routines such as making dinner.Yesterday I had to work late, and I asked if they could do carpool just once – but they said they were busy cooking dinner and couldn’t pick up the girls.AdvertisementI cook dinner for my daughters, too, but I still always find time to drive the girls to and from their activities.How do I respond to this?– Swim ParentDear Parent: It might be tempting to simply leave the neighbors’ daughter at home or at the pool one day in order to try to teach them all a lesson, but then you would be punishing the daughter for having thoughtless and unhelpful parents.I think you should see this through to a terminus – either a holiday break or the end of the season. And then find another nearby family who will actually carpool to the pool.If the neighbors approach you to ask about driving, tell them, “I’m looking for someone to actually share the driving with me. Let me know what days you’re willing to do that.”AdvertisementAsk AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Dear Amy: I’ve just read “Been There,” about letting your pet go.In a few hours a vet is coming to our home to put down our 14-year-old Boston Terrier. There are not enough words in the English language for how much I love this dog, but she’s reached the end of her natural lifespan; it’s time. Releasing them when they’re no longer enjoying their life is the only loving, humane choice, as difficult as it is.– Letting GoDear Letting Go: RIP to a very good pal.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Advertisement©2021 Amy Dickinson.

Sports

SEE IT: Fed-up Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaks about gun violence before NBA showdown in Dallas

Steve Kerr knows there are more important things than NBA championships.Kerr’s Golden State Warriors were playing the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday knowing a victory would earn them a sweep of their Western Conference series and a spot in the NBA Finals. But the usually even-tempered coach first addressed gun violence before taking the court in Texas, where a gunman killed 18 elementary school students and at least one teacher before himself being shot dead.AdvertisementKerr started by telling reporters he was in no mood to speak about basketball 10 days after 10 shoppers were fatally shot in a Buffalo supermarket and a few hours and at least 19 people were killed 400 miles away in Uvalde, Texas.“When are we going to do something?” an emotional Kerr demanded shorty after taking his seat.Advertisement“I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there — I’m tired of the moments of silence,” he said pounding the desk in front of him. “Enough!”Kerr urged senators to take action and put the lives of Americans ahead of their own political ambitions.“We can’t get numb to this!” he said. “We can’t just sit here, read about it, have a moment of silence, and yell, ‘Go Dubs! Come on Mavs, let’s go!’”Reacting to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting earlier in the day, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr makes a statement before Warriors played the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Dallas. (Scott Strazzante/AP)Among Kerr’s complaints is that some members of Congress are resistant to universal background checks that would be popular among the general population.“It’s pathetic!” Kerr said. “I’ve had enough.”[ NBA star Steve Kerr says Trump’s ‘surreal’ attacks on him shows the presidency has ‘sunken low’ ]Kerr, who asked those who saw his video to think about how they’d feel if one of their loved ones had been killed in Texas Tuesday, comes from a family all too familiar with gun violence. When he was a freshman basketball player at the University of Arizona, his father was shot dead while working as an educator in Lebanon.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 28Kladys Castellón prays during a vigil for the victims of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Billy Calzada/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)Warriors star Stephen Curry showed support for his coach on Twitter.“Watch this as much as you watch the game tonight,” he wrote alongside video of Kerr’s stirring speech.AdvertisementLos Angeles Lakers star and Warriors rival LeBron James also tweeted Kerr’s video and voiced support.