A 1935 Wheaties cereal box with a picture of Lou Gehrig sold for $7,680 at Julien’s Auctions. Cold cereal has a more controversial history than you may realize. In 1894, William Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan, made rolled and baked wheat flakes to serve to patients at the sanitarium run by his brother, John. William intended to market his creation to the public, but John objected to his idea of adding sugar. (He would have been furious to see the sugary children’s cereals created after World War II!) William got the rights to the recipe by giving his brother money to rebuild the sanitarium after it was damaged in a fire. He started the Kellogg Co., which quickly became famous for its Corn Flakes and soon gained a rival when a former patient at Kellogg’s sanitarium named C.W. Post started a cereal company of his own. He was accused of stealing recipes from Kellogg, but Post’s company lasted and, along with other cereal companies, continues to compete with Kellogg’s.
Photo: Julien’s Auctions