Some People Don’t Know That New York Was The First To Do These 15 Things
By Lisa Sammons|Updated on June 21, 2023(Originally published June 18, 2023)
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
You may know that New York is first in your heart, but did you know that it was first in a number of other accomplishments? (Like creating the very first pet cemetery!) Let’s take a look at some New York firsts you may not have heard about.
Did you know that New York was the first at accomplishing these things? Of all of the first things New York participated in which one surprised you the most? Be sure to tell us about any other New York firsts you’ve discovered in the comments!
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More New York Inventions and Discoveries
Chris Muras|June 21, 2023
What are some things invented in New York?
New York probably has more inventions and accomplishments than we can possibly count. But here are a few interesting things invented in New York:
The Waldorf Salad: The iconic Waldorf Astoria opened on the south end of Central Park in 1931. At one point in the 1940s, there were nine restaurants located in the hotel. Today, the number has been trimmed a bit to only four. With all of these historic and award-winning restaurants you might be surprised to learn the Waldorf Salad was not created by one of the Waldorf's chefs - it was created by a maître d'hôtel by the name of Oscar Tschirky in 1896.
The Club Sandwich: Another iconic foodie find from New York, the Club Sandwich originated from the Saratoga Club House in 1894. And what goes oh so well with a club sandwich? Potato chips! Yup, those too were invented in New York. They popped into existence in 1853 by chef George Crum at Saratoga's Moon Lake Lodge resort.
Junk Mail: Okay to be fair not all direct mail advertising campaigns are necessarily junk mail (where else are we going to get our oil change coupons and wine of the month club discounts?). New York has always been a mecca for marketing and advertising, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that direct mail advertising originated in New York. It might surprise you to learn that the first-ever campaign was from Father Baker as he requested financial assistance for his charitable work at his church Our Lady of Victory.
Air Conditioners: With New York winters being as fierce as they are one might think air conditioners were invented in a state without natural air conditioning nine months out of the year. But in 1902, New Yorker Willis Carrier created the very first air conditioner.