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I was shopping at our local Arkansas Walmart when I came across a divided plate intended for serving tacos. It had space for three tacos and two side dishes. I saw the plate and immediately thought, “Where has this been all my life?”
I love to cook and make various meals, but tacos are always a hit in our house, so I make them frequently. The plates caught my eye because of their functionality, but when I saw the “Made in USA” label on the packaging, I picked them up. Once I got home and unwrapped the plates to wash them before our meal, I read the package and saw that they were not only made in America but also by Jarratt Industries in Fayetteville. As a journalist, I decided to dig a little deeper and discovered that Hugh Jarratt, the company’s founder, invented the plates.
Photo courtesy of Jarratt Industries
Jarratt Industries is the home of the original Taco Plate and prides itself on creating innovative products to make life easier. The Taco Plate was invented in 2008, and they followed with several other innovative products, including the Double Dipper for holding chips and dip and the Big Taco Plate, which is perfect for soft tacos.
A product designed to simplify a messy meal got me thinking about other products invented in Arkansas and by Arkansans. I’m certain there are more, but here are a few more favorites.
Photo courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
Bowie Knife
The Bowie knife, also known as the ” Arkansas Toothpick, ” was crafted by Arkansas blacksmith James Black in the 1830s. While named after and brought to fame by James Bowie, it was created in Arkansas for self-defense on the frontier. The James Black School of Bladesmithing in Washington, Arkansas, continues this legacy.
Fried Pickles
Fried Pickles were invented in 1963 by Brenell “Fatman” Austin at the Duchess Drive In in Atkins. He operated his restaurant along Hwy 64 across the street from the Atkins Pickle Company. Hoping to draw in some of the traffic along the busy highway, Atkins began serving deep-fried slices of hamburger pickles as a gimmick. When an eighteen-wheeler destroyed the Duchess Drive In, Atkins opened a new restaurant and continued making his now famous fried pickles until he retired in 1978. By then, copycat recipes were being made and sold in restaurants worldwide. You can still enjoy some of Fatman’s Original Fried Dill Pickles, made from his original secret recipe, at the Atkins Pickle Festival held every May in downtown Atkins.
Wonder Horse
The Wonder Horse was a popular children’s toy invented by William Baltz in Pocahontas in 1939. Baltz created the first horse for his 3-year-old grandson out of packing crates and wood as an alternative to the traditional rocking horse. Once in mass production, the horse was made of wood suspended by springs on a metal frame, but was later produced in plastic.
Cheese Dip
Arkansas claims to be the birthplace of cheese dip. Blackie Donnelly, original owner of the Mexico Chiquito restaurants, has been credited with creating this popular side dish in the 1930s. The creamy sauce is served with chips or smothered over a burrito. Arkansans celebrate this iconic dish each year at the World Cheese Dip Championship.
Cheese Dogs
I loved cheese dogs as a kid, and they are still a favorite now that I’m grown. Created in 1956 at the Finkbeiner Meat Packing Company in Little Rock, cheese was inserted into the center of a hot dog, giving diners a bit of cheesy goodness in every bite. Finkbeiner Meat Packing was eventually sold to Sara Lee Corporation, but the cheese hot dog is their lasting contribution.
Brown-and-Serve Rolls
In the 1930s, Charles Meyer adopted brown-and-serve technology at his Little Rock bakery. At first, he was skeptical of the benefits, fearing homemakers would prefer to make their rolls rather than purchase half-baked versions. But the concept caught on quickly and brown-and-serve rolls became extremely popular. They have since become a staple for holiday dinners and gatherings.
Photo courtesy of Blade Solution
Rocking & Rolling N Blade Solution
If you mow, you’ve dealt with blade damage from rocks, roots and hot wheels left in the yard by your 8-year-old. Replacing mower blades is annoying and expensive but mowing with dull blades looks ugly and can be dangerous. In 2017, Richard Nevels of Sulphur Springs invented a solution when he was tired of the problem and created the Rocking & Rolling N Blade Solution. This simple attachment head for mowers replaces fixed blades with six rotating cords that work like a weed wacker. The Revo6 2.0 is the company’s latest version of the product.
Photo courtesy of FlexEhoop
FlexEhoop
Christi Brown of Rogers came up with the idea for the FlexEhoop based on her need for a fun but also quick and easy workout. She liked the idea of hula hooping but wanted something a little more portable and that could have multiple uses. The result was the FlexEHoop, which is made from a soft yet rigid plastic that has a soft feel against the body and can be used as a hula hoop or a resistance-style band. Plus, it’s flexible and portable and can be taken wherever you want to work out.
We’ve got some pretty smart people in Arkansas, and these inventions certainly prove that. I mean, can you imagine life without cheese dip or fried pickles? Me neither! Maybe you have a great idea swimming around in your head, and we can feature you on our next Arkansas Inventions roundup.
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