July 11 Illinois History Minute

It’s July 11th, and on this day in 1955, the Daily Illini reported that a trademark had been granted by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office for the name “Dog ‘n’ Suds”. Two U of I music teachers, Donald Hamacher and Jim Griggs, opened the first Dog ‘n’ Suds in Champaign in 1953.

At its peak in the 1960s, there were more than 600 of the hot dog and root beer stands in 38 states, known for their signs featuring Rover, the cartoon dog bringing food to customers.