"Jac" who runs a Facebook page called Traces of Texas with 782,633 people following, recently told a story about converting some German students on a tour of Big Bend. They brought fancy equipment and dehydrated food and he brought several cans of Wolf Brand Chili, along with some shredded cheese and Fritos to make the perfect Frito pie. Needless to say, the Germans were impressed.
Wolf Brand Chili is a staple in many households still today, more than 125 years after it began in Corsicana, Texas, in 1895. That's where 16-year-old Lyman T. Davis appeared on the downtown streets, and began selling his "ranch" chili from the back of a wagon next to the Blue Front Saloon.
Although no one knew it at the time, Davis was beginning an odyssey that led to the foundation of a company destined to become a Texas and Southwest legend. By the early 1920s, the chili’s reputation had spread and Davis began canning it. His pet wolf, Kaiser Bill, was selected to grace the label, and that’s how Wolf Brand Chili got its name.
Its famous trademarked slogan is, "Neighbor, how long has it been since you’ve had a big, thick, steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili? Well, that’s too long."
The Texas Legislature declared chili as the official state dish in 1977. Learn more about Wolf Brand Chili at www.wolfbrandchili.com.
