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14 Photos Of Food Carts From Before You Were Born
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 27, 2012
Modified Dec 27, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 27, 2012
Modified Dec 27, 2012
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From fresh churned buttermilk and milkshakes in 1896, to 5 cent frankfurters in the 1930s, click through for a look back at what New Yorkers used to order from New York City's food cart vendors.
You'll also notice one photo captioned: "First Lunch Wagon" in the late 1890s, which was essentially the first food truck to hit the streets of New York. This wagon was introduced in 1893 by the Church Temperance Society, and according to American Diner, it was indeed the first lunch wagon introduced to the business area of Manhattan. By the end of the decade there were eight of them.
"The sixteen-foot-by-seven-foot wagon had a plain exterior with the name, The Owl, painted on it. The first wagon was so successful, selling 67,600 ten-cent meals in one year, that the society was able to use the profits to purchase a second wagon. The first wagon was located in Herald Square, right in front of the Herald Building. The wagons were in use both day and night."
The wagons were made possible by endowments from some prominent New Yorkers, like Cornelius Vanderbilt, who told the NY Times in 1922, "I like these restaurants on wheels. When you want one come to me." He later had one on the east side of Union Square, called "Good Cheer."
Reminder: The Lunch Hour NYC exhibit is still running at the New York Public Library through February 2013, and they have plenty on old food carts.
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flashback
food carts
food trucks
history
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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