Notable American Indians 

The Inventor

George Crum (1822–1914)

George Crum invented a snack food loved by people all around the world—potato chips! He was born in 1822 in Saratoga Lake, New York. His father was African-American and his mother was an American Indian of the Huron tribe.

In the summer of 1853, Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York. The resort restaurant where he worked served thick-cut French fries. One night, a customer returned his order of fries, complaining they were too thick. Crum was miffed. He responded by cutting potato slices as thinly as possible and frying them until they were too crisp to be eaten with a fork.

When the new order of potato crisps arrived at the customer’s table, he loved them! Soon other guests began asking for them. Crum’s “Saratoga Chips,” as he called them, became a popular treat at the restaurant. A few years later, Crum opened his own upscale restaurant, which featured a basket of potato chips on every table.

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