The Birth of the Banana Split and Fred Rogers

Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, with a population of 8,060 as of the 2020 census. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999.

Latrobe is known as the home of the Latrobe Brewery, the original brewer of Rolling Rock beer. Latrobe was also the birthplace and childhood home of children’s television personality Fred Rogers and former professional golfer Arnold Palmer. The nearby airport is named after Palmer.

The banana split was invented in Latrobe by David Strickler in 1904. The city is also home to the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Latrobe was long recognized as the site of the first professional American football game in 1895 until research found an 1892 game with paid players.

The banana split is claimed to have been invented in 1904 in Latrobe by David Evans Strickler at the pharmacy that later became named Strickler’s Drug Store. In 2004, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split. The town holds an annual festival in honor of the dessert.