It is time to celebrate national Hot Dog Day!  On March 29, 1859 Oscar Mayer was born in Bavaria, Germany.  

At age 11, Mayer’s father died and he quit school to help support his family in a grocery store owned by his cousin.  When the store ended up closing, Mayer moved to the United States at the age of 14.  He settled in Chicago, Ill. and worked at a butcher shop.  

By 1883 Oscar Mayer had saved enough money to open a business of his own. In 1904, Mayer started labeling his meat packages so that his customers would know who was producing it. In 1919, he opened a second plant in Wisconsin. In 1955 Oscar passed away at the age of 95.  

His son, Oscar G. Mayer took over the company and promoted his Weinermobile that went around to state fairs and parades advertising the Oscar Mayer products.  

In 1963 the song, “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner” came out and in 1974, “the Bologna” song came out with the lyrics that begin…. My bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R.  My bologna has a second name…. it’s M-A-Y-E-R.  

Right here in Otter Tail County we have wonderful meat locker plants that make outstanding hotdogs.  Take a trip to several of these locker plants, pick up a few packages of their hotdogs, grill them up and have a contest to see which you like the best.  

Enjoy National Hot Dog Day.