The Silver Dollar Restaurant and Nite Club, north of Ada, Oklahoma on Highway 99, was offering "Corn Dogs" for sale in 1940, both sit-down and curb service. We don't have any way of knowing for sure, though, what they defined as a "Corn Dog."
Commercial interest in Corn Dogs as a product was stirring by 1940, as this short piece indicates: Tries "Corn Dogs" Houston, Tex. — (IP) — The headaches of a football mentor will harry Jimmy Kitts no more. Kitts, who was fired at Rice Institute after last year's disastrous season, has deserted the coaching business. He is promoting a new type of sandwich in Houston — the "corn dog" — a wiener wrapped in corn bread." [2]
In the 1940 article below, it seems pretty clear that Jack Payne will be using Wagner's Krusty Korn Dog machine, because his corn dogs will be baked, and resemble an ear of corn. We aren't certain why what was available everywhere was associated with franchise rights. Note as well the article states that such items were sold a while ago (making it the 1930s) at the Louisiana State Fair. It's somewhat likely that someone bought a bunch of Wagner's "Krusty Korn Sausage Pans" and set up a stand at that State Fair.
Commercial interest in Corn Dogs as a product was stirring by 1940, as this short piece indicates: Tries "Corn Dogs" Houston, Tex. — (IP) — The headaches of a football mentor will harry Jimmy Kitts no more. Kitts, who was fired at Rice Institute after last year's disastrous season, has deserted the coaching business. He is promoting a new type of sandwich in Houston — the "corn dog" — a wiener wrapped in corn bread." [2]
In the 1940 article below, it seems pretty clear that Jack Payne will be using Wagner's Krusty Korn Dog machine, because his corn dogs will be baked, and resemble an ear of corn. We aren't certain why what was available everywhere was associated with franchise rights. Note as well the article states that such items were sold a while ago (making it the 1930s) at the Louisiana State Fair. It's somewhat likely that someone bought a bunch of Wagner's "Krusty Korn Sausage Pans" and set up a stand at that State Fair.