George Speck (1824 - 1914)

Born 15 Jul 1824 in Saratoga, New York, United States

Died 22 Jul 1914 at age 90 in Malta, Saratoga, New York, United States

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Biography

George Speck is Notable.

George was Mohawk.

George Speck (aka George Crum) was an American chef known for his role in popularizing potato chips in upstate New York. He was later given credit for their creation.^[1]

Speck was born in Saratoga County, New York in 1824. He was a member of the Mohawk people and likely also had African-American ancestry. He worked as a hunter, guide and cook in the Adirondack Mountains, becoming noted for his culinary skills after being hired at Moon's Lake House near Saratoga Springs. His specialties included wild meat, especially venison and duck. Speck later left Moon's and opened his own restaurant, Crum's, in nearby Malta. His establishment was popular among wealthy tourists and his reputation spread outside the Adirondacks.

Speck was known for serving thinly sliced fried potatoes at his restaurants, which subsequently became known as "Saratoga chips". The first published recipes for potato chips date from the early 19th century, decades before his career as a chef. However, after Speck's death various newspaper articles and local histories of Saratoga County began to claim him as the "inventor" of potato chips. This myth featured in national advertising campaigns in the 1970s. More detailed versions include claims that he invented potato chips by accident or to appease a difficult customer, often cited as Cornelius Vanderbilt; some accounts also claim that the true inventor was Speck's sister Catherine Wicks

Speck died in 1914^[2] and is buried in Malta Ridge Cemetery in Malta Ridge, New York.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "George Speck," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Speck (accessed April 22, 2022).
2. ↑ Death: "New York, U.S., Death Index, 1852-1956"
   New York Department of Health; Albany, NY; NY State Death Index
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61535 #3329603
   George W Speck death 26 Jul 1914 in Malta, New York, USA.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6600041/george-crum : accessed 2 Dec 2023), memorial page for George Crum (1831–22 Jul 1914), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6600041, citing Malta Ridge Cemetery, Malta Ridge, Saratoga County, New York, USA ; The Silent Forgotten (contributor 46537737)