Unlike the many revered but fictional food purveyors who line our grocery aisles — Uncle Ben, anyone? — Duncan Hines was a real person.
Lest you doubt it, visit Bowling Green, Kentucky, where virtually every resident seems to know the history of the man who was born there in 1880, and whose appreciation for quality food is honored around town with everything from historical plaques and a namesake, 82-mile scenic byway, to an annual Duncan Hines festival. Hines was a salesman whose frequent travels familiarized him with the best eateries and lodging around the country, inspiring him to write a series of popular travel guides in the 1930s, called “Adventures in Good Eating.” The success of that work eventually spawned his own brand of food products, and before long, Hines’ name would be forever linked with shortcut birthday cakes.
The Kentucky Museum on the campus of Western Kentucky University features a permanent exhibit, “Recommended by Duncan Hines,” with eight distinct sections tracing his rise to American culinary celebrity, as well as a recreated kitchen stocked with the stove, cabinetry and sink from Hines’ own personal kitchen. For many, the museum is a nostalgic journey, recalling the products and familiar logo that seemed a staple in every home during the 1950s and ‘60s. But for old-fashioned, quirky fun, be sure to visit Bowling Green during the Duncan Hines Festival in August, where events include a ’50s-style sock hop and, of course, a recipe contest.