Model T Ford truck with cab shaped like chili can.
“Chili concocted outside of Texas
is usually a weak, apologetic
imitation of the real thing.”
under the brand name of Lyman’s Famous Home Made Chili.
In 1921, he started to can his chili, naming it Wolf Brand
Chili after his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill. In 1924, Davis struck oil
and quit the chili business, selling his operations to J.C. West
and Fred Slauson, two Corsicana businessmen.
To create buzz for the brand, the new owners had Model
T Ford trucks with cabs shaped like chili cans and painted to
resemble the Wolf Brand label. A live wolf was said to have
been caged in the back of each truck.
Wolf Brand Chili credits the original recipe to Davis on
their website, and Kaiser Bill’s picture still appears on the
label today.
As America’s economy improved, chili’s popularity de-
clined, but never disappeared, and the first recorded chili
contest was held at the State Fair of Texas on Oct. 4, 1952.
The world championship contest imposed a strict ban on
beans, a battle that continues to rage in many Texas house-
holds: Beans, or no beans?
Chili’s popularity peaked again in the 1960s, with then
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson sharing his personal reci-
pe, Pedernales River Chili, with the world.
“Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apolo-
getic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do
when I get home to Texas is to have a ‘bowl of red.’ There is
simply nothing better.” said President Johnson.
A columnist for the Dallas Morning News, Frank Tolbert,
shared his passion for chili in weekly columns and articles in
other publications, eventually writing the book “A Bowl of
Red,” detailing the history of chili con carne.
According to CASI, on Oct. 1967, in the ghost town of
Terlingua, the first known World Championship Chili Coo-
koff took place to determine who was the best chili chef in
the world. However, no one claimed that distinction, as the
cookoff ended in a tie when the judge called off the judging,
saying his taste buds had been ruined.
This event rekindled the love of Texas chili and again
brought chili the national recognition it so deserved with
many articles written about the contest and the Terlingua
CASI events that followed each year.
A decade later, CASI members and chili manufacturers
petitioned the state legislature to declare chili the official
state dish. Their impassioned plea rested on the argument
that “the only real ‘bowl of red’ is that prepared by Texans.”
Governor Dolph Briscoe signed House Concurrent Reso-
lution No. 18 (HCR 18) on May 11, 1977, officially cementing
Texas’ commitment to chili. Nationally, Americans unite to
enjoy a warm bowl of chili on National Chili Day, celebrated
on the fourth Thursday of February to help heat up the cold
winter month.
Since the first event in Terlingua, the chili cookoff indus-
try continues to grow and include new lovers of chili - the of-
ficial state dish of Texas. Families continue to gather around
the dinner table, sharing their precious heirloom recipes, and
delicious chili dishes can be found in almost any Texas diner.
T HE T EX AS F O O D I E
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