Is This Wisconsin Town Really The Birthplace Of The Hamburger?

Wisconsin is a chilly, northern gem of the U.S. known for its impressive cheese production, championship-winning Green Bay Packers, and its claim to being the birthplace of the modern hamburger. Maybe you've never wondered where your McDonald's hamburger originated, maybe all you care about is the level of char and the number of pickles, but the small town of Seymour, Wisconsin proudly shouts their belief as being the originators of the hamburger. Are they truly the original creators? The answer is -– they might be!

Unfortunately, there's no exact record of where the hamburger was initially invented. Cities from Wisconsin to New York, Connecticut, and Texas have all staked their claim as the true birthplace of the hamburger. And yet, no official declaration exists, as each city brings a compelling argument to the table. Some claims are stronger than others, but Seymour, Wisconsin's dedication to boasting their ownership has led them to create an annual "Burger Fest," where they celebrate their hamburger heritage.

As far as Seymour, Wisconsin's story goes, the hamburger was invented by a local named Charlie Nagreen in 1885 when he smashed a meatball between two pieces of bread and sold it to patrons at the county fair. While its origin in Wisconsin may be contested, we know that the hamburger rose to fame in the later decades of the 19th century, which fits with Seymour's story. It was more widely introduced to Americans at the World Fair in St. Louis in 1904, along with other new food inventions such as cotton candy and peanut butter. But if not Wisconsin, which other states claim to be the birthplace of hamburgers?

Athens, Texas believes that a local man named Fletcher Davis was the one to bring the hamburger to the St. Louis World Fair in 1904. But his hamburgers are no longer sold in Athens, with just a tiny placard marking the place of the hamburger's birth. In New Haven, Connecticut, the Lassen family claims that their great-grandfather, Louis Lassen, invented the hamburger in 1900. The Lassens still serve those hamburgers at their fourth generation-owned restaurant, and even the Library of Congress agrees it was Louis Lassen who coined the technique of placing smashed, ground beef between two slices of bread. Whether Wisconsin, Texas, or Connecticut can truly claim the birthplace of hamburgers, all Americans can agree that these days, the real debate is whether to stop at Whataburger or In-N-Out on the way home (just make sure it stays warm).