Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Question: Which sugary treat commonly found at fairs was invented by a Nashville dentist?

Answer: Cotton candy traces back to Nashville dentist William James Morrison, who partnered with confectioner John C. Wharton in 1897 to build what they dubbed the “electric candy machine.” Their contraption spun sugar in a heated central chamber, then blew the melted sugar through a fine wire screen and into a surrounding bowl, spinning out the wispy, web-like treat still beloved at fairs today.