Hot Link History Explored

Charles Hasselback is credited with creating the famous Pittsburg,

Texas hot links around 1897. However, his background as a traveling baseball player and "tin snip" (a skilled metal worker) raises the question: where did he learn the unique craft of sausage-making?

Research into the Hasselback family reveals no connection to the grocery or meat market trade. Instead, the answer may lie with his wife's family. After arriving in Pittsburg, Hasselback married Ms. Fred in 1895. Her father, H. Fred, owned a grocery store and meat market, providing the likely setting for Hasselback's training in meat preparation and the distinctive hot link recipe.

The signature characteristic of Pittsburg Hot Links is their hand-tied chain pattern – two links placed side-by-side, each about 3 inches long. This technique, passed down through generations, points to a unique culinary heritage.

H. Fred's family journey from Suwalki, Poland, to Canada, New Orleans, Jefferson, Texas, and finally Pittsburg suggests they brought sausage-making traditions from their Polish roots. It's probable that these skills and recipes were shared with Hasselback, shaping the iconic Pittsburg Hot Links we know today.

While Hasselback is celebrated for popularizing the hot links, the evidence suggests his father-in-law, H. Fred, played a crucial role in their origin, passing on the techniques and culinary heritage that distinguish these sausages.