Corn dogs were first introduced by German Texans in the 1920s. Initially, the corn dog was simply a sausage rolled in cornbread batter and fried. It wasn't until later that sticks were added, transforming the corn dog into the modern version we know today.
In 1927, a patent for the idea of fried food on a stick was filed in the US, which was approved in 1929. The patent mentioned that various foods, not just sausages, could be prepared similarly. It also highlighted that the stick would allow the food to be handled and eaten more cleanly.
The earliest recorded instance of corn dogs being prepared in the US dates back to 1937. During a high school baseball game in Adel, Iowa, ballpark vendors ran out of hot dog buns. Roger Newman, a local tavern owner and one of the vendors, decided to use the remaining hot dogs to make corn dogs without sticks. He coated each hot dog in cornmeal batter intended for a fish fry and served them at the ballpark. Patrons used various methods to hold the corn dogs, including wax paper, paper cones, and even pocket knives.
Several corn dog vendors claim to have invented or popularised the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher asserted that they popularised the corn dog, calling them "Corny Dogs," at the State Fair of Texas between 1938 and 1942. Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claimed to have invented the corn dog in 1941. Cozy Dog Drive-in in Springfield, Illinois, claims to have been the first to serve corn dogs on sticks on June 16, 1946. That same year, Dave Barham opened the first Hot Dog on a Stick location at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California.
