Ben's Corn Bin

Grandpa Benjamin Atkinson circa 1930s-1940s

Story as emailed to me by my Dad, he likes to type in all caps. The popcorn signs in the pictures and some of the popcorn equipment are still in storage.

"DURING THE "DEPRESSION", 1929-39,THERE WAS LITTLE  WORK FOR DAD AS A BRICK MASON, SOOOO, SOMEHOW HE BECAME INTERESTED IN MAKING BUTTERED AND CANDY POPCORN AND TRAVELING FAIRS IN UTAH AND IDAHO TO "EARN A LIVING" IN "FAIR" SEASON. HE HIRED SEVERAL YOUNG MEN TO TRAVEL WITH HIM. MOTHER WOULD HAVE HIS SUPPLIES READY FOR HIM TO PICK UP AND GO OUT AGAIN. THEY WOULD TOGETHER, SORT THE COINS ON A TABLE IN THE BASEMENT WHEN HE RETURNED. I EVEN GOT TO HELP WHEN I BECAME RELIABLE.

AS THE NATION RECOVERED FROM THE DEPRESSION HE COULD FIND MORE BRICK WORK AND TRAVELED LESS, WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT AS A BUILDING INSPECTOR AT THE UTAH KEARN'S ARMY BASE DURING WW II, AND THEN BACK TO LAYING BRICK, GRADUALLY SLOWING POPCORN DOWN, TO MORE OF A SMALL BUSINESS / HOBBY, PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME, ESPECIALLY AT CHRISTMAS, WHEN HIS CARMEL CORN WAS IN DEMAND, BY ADVANCE ORDER.

IT WAS A HAND MADE CONFECTION, "VERY" LABOR INTENSIVE.  HE WOULD NOT CHARGE  MUCH PER POUND. I "THINK" MAYBE IT TOPPED OUT AT $.75 A POUND, WHEN HIS HIPS BECAME TOO PAINFUL AND THE KETTLE TOO HEAVY TO  LIFT IN THE 1970's.  HE DID NOT WANT TO CHARGE MORE THAN HE THOT PEOPLE COULD AFFORD, SO LONG AS HE RECOVERED HIS OUT OF POCKET COSTS. HE DID NOT CONSIDER THE VALUE OF HIS LABOR. HE  WAS HONEST, FAIR AND HARD WORKING IN EVERY FACET OF HIS LIFE. HE WAS NEVER IDLE.

HE ALSO FIGURED OUT A WAY TO ADD MOISTURE TO POP CORN KERNELS TO INCREASE THE POPPING VOLUME AND SOLD THAT FROM THE BACK DOOR THRU OUT HIS LIFE TIME, PROBABLY UNTIL 1970, A FEW YEARS BEFORE HE DIED.

HE ALSO HAD A POPCORN STAND IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE BEFORE THE WAR.

 DAD INVENTED AND CONSTRUCTED  HIS OWN POPCORN AND CONCESSION EQUIPMENT, SOME OF WHICH I  HAVE HERE AND IN SLC STORAGE.

 DAD WAS A CREATIVE THINKER AND DOER, INCLUDING GETTING A PATENT ON A CANDY POPCORN MOLD.  I DO HAVE TWO  LARGE PANS OF THE POPCORN BALL MOLDS. ONE IS SQUARES AND THE OTHER RECTANGLES  THEY ARE ALL METICULOUSLY HAND SOLDERED AND I EVEN HELPED DAD USE THEM.

THERE ARE SOME SINGLE ONES THAT LOOK LIKE A HEART AND A RABBIT. THEY ARE MADE OF  CEMENT.   IT LOOKS LIKE I WOULD HAVE BEEN 12 AT THE TIME OF THE PATENT.  I AM UNAWARE OF HIS PATENT INTENTIONS.  HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MADE AND SOLD POPCORN BALLS AS THEY WERE QUITE A POPULAR CONFECTION IN THE 1940'S.  THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY LABOR INTENSIVE WHICH MOTIVATED HIS INVENTION.  IN SPITE OF HIS INCREASED EFFICIENCY THEY WERE STILL TOO LABOR INTENSIVE TO MAKE A REASONABLE PROFIT.  FAMILIES MADE THEM JUST FOR FUN."