Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

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I955 photo of A. Hazel Smith, manager and ice
cream maker at the Anamosa Farmer's Creameryfor
many years. (Submitted by Mildred Brown)
crushed peanuts. Truly a “sundae on a stick", and well
worth the walk across town to the creamery, and a real
bargain at 10 cents each.
Modern refrigeration and home freezers made ice
cream a daily food and a common year-round dessert;
1958 photo of Marie Cook and Mildred Houstman
making Polarstiks at the Anamosa Farmer's
Creamery Co. (Photo submitted by Mildred Brown)
but in the olden days, when A. Hazel Smith started
making ice cream, it would only be bought for special
occasions, like the 4th of July. Labor Day, birthday
parties, wedding receptions, and maybe at Christmas
time.
Polarstik Story
“Farmer's Nut Sundae on a Stick"
submitted by Marjorie Peet Lacock
(Following an interview with Julius "Dutch" Westphal in 1987)
FARMER‘S NUT SUNDAE ON A STICK, 5 cents, was
the name of a delicious and popular confection
invented by Guy Farmer, who owned the Candy
Kitchen, on Main Street in Anamosa. An Osborne
couple operated the shop.
With Farmer, in the proposed corporation, were his
son, Cecil, Lou Gardner, Herbert Gee, Julius Westphal,
Ren Finnigan and others. (another article on the
POLARSTIK can be found in another chapter of this
book — editor.)
The idea of a round cylinder to form the ice cream bar
was meant to be the money-maker for the scheme. The
bar was dipped in melted chocolate, then chopped nuts
and retumed to the freezer. Each bar was encased in a
small paper bag on which was a picture of a cherubicfaced
local boy, Barney Bunce.
The members of the corporation were required to buy
at least two shares at 50 cents each.
“Dutch” Westphal, of Anamosa, and "Shorty"
Morse, of Wyoming. both just out of high school
in1926, were the distributors — selling at state fairs all
over the county. They also had to buy at least two
shares in order to get the job.
Their first stop was at the Minneapolis-St.Paul State
Fair, where they grossed $1.000 for their 5-cent
concoction the very first day. The next ventures were at
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Bernard “Barney" Bunce. from the poster
advertisement for the Anamosa Farmer's Creamery
Co. adfor Polarstiks.