1903 Cretors Model C Custom Popcorn Wagon
Charles Cretors, an Illinois confectioner, developed steam-powered roasting and popping machines in the 1890s after growing frustrated with the inconsistent performance of existing equipment. By 1900, his company was producing brightly painted, gold-leafed wagons designed for street vending.
The Model C could roast peanuts, pop corn, and bake chestnuts simultaneously, all powered by a compact steam engine.
Commissioned by a Massachusetts bank in 1903, this custom Cretors Model C wagon served as a promotional centerpiece for decades, appearing on trinkets, penny banks, and even inspiring a series of children’s stories featuring a mouse character.
This particular example retains its original windows, doors, woodwork, beveled glass signage, solid brass finials, canvas awning, and the signature “Roasty Toasty” mechanical clown figure. After the bank’s reorganization in 1970, the wagon spent roughly two decades in storage before collector Dennis Koepsell restored it at his Wisconsin facility.
It now operates with an electric motor (replacing the original steam system) that powers the clown, whistle, and other mechanical features, with converted service areas where the steam drums once sat.
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