Sandy Rothlisber’s grandfather, Charles Nagreen, is one of the men who some say invented the popular sandwich, the hamburger.

Rothlisberg told JCPost.com in an interview that her grand-father would sell meatballs and spaghetti at the Outagamie County Fair in Seymour, Wisconsin. She said that the majority of those who attended the fair were farmers and didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the fair and sit down to eat. So in 1885, at the age of 15, Nagreen smashed a meatball and put it between two slices of bread.

“So people could walk around and see at the county fair at the different, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and things, so they could enjoy the fair and get home in time to take care of their cattle,” Rothlisberg said.

There are others who have claimed to have invented the hamburger and Rothlisberg said that there was a contest to find out who actually invented the sandwich.

“It’s come down to him,” Rothlisberg said. “They had a big election and all this type of thing. He is the only own who has record in the newspaper and the date that he had this.”

In 2007 the Wisconsin Legislature declared the small town of  Seymour as the original home of the hamburger. The small town of approximately 3,000 people now holds an annual hamburger festival in honor of Nagreen. The festival features hot air balloon rally, burger fest car show, bun run, as well as, a hamburger parade.

Rothlisberg still travels to the annual event, with her grand-children, where she is one of the grand marshals in the parade. This years festival is August 8th through 10th.