M
On The Road Again
Exhibits include costumes of the Kool-Aid Man, the mascot conceived in 1957 after General Foods purchased the Perkins Products Company.
Hastings Museum Hastings, Neb.
(All photos provided by Hastings Museum)
By RAY BALOGH | The Municipal
“Oh, yeah!” That catchphrase for one of America’s most iconic soft drinks applies just as well today as it did when the now ubiquitous concoction was invented 95 years ago in Hastings, Neb., by child whiz entrepreneur Edwin Elijah Perkins. Perkins was born Jan. 8, 1889, in Lewis, Iowa, and moved with his family to Hendley, Neb., where his father operated a general store. Perkins served as postmaster for the town at the young age of 13. Looking for other businesses to occupy his time, he responded to magazine ads on how to manufacture prepackaged foods and how to start a print shop.
ABOVE: Exhibits include costumes of the Kool-Aid Man, the mascot conceived in 1957 after General Foods purchased the Perkins Products Company. LEFT: The museum features several vintage ads. Note the suggestions for various uses of the Kool-Ade ingredient, such as sherbet, candy, icing and pudding. 14 THE MUNICIPAL | JUNE 2022
