The year 1892 was a busy one for Ithaca, New York. Not only was Ithaca College founded, but the ice cream sundae also got its start that year. Although there has been some debate about whether Ithaca is the definitive birthplace of the sundae, there’s some pretty strong evidence. 

As legend has it, following church services on Sunday, April 3, 1892, Reverend M. Scott visited the Platt & Colt Pharmacy. The owner, the church’s treasurer, asked the fountain clerk to bring them two bowls of ice cream. The clerk brought two bowls complete with cherry syrup and a candied cherry on top.

Scott and Platt loved the concoction, suggesting the treat be named for the day on which it was invented: Sunday. Two days later, on April 5, the Ithaca Daily Journal published an ad for the new 10-cent creation available only at Platt & Colt.