05/28/2026
Happy National Hamburger Day!
The man sitting on the curb is Edgar Bascom Brewer, Sr., though everyone in Winnsboro, Texas, just called him "Dad" Brewer. He ran a popular little hamburger joint right on Main Street. Back then, you could get one of his hamburgers or hot dogs for a nickel. If you wanted "everything on it"—which meant heavy on the onions—it cost a dime. He also served up a great bowl of chili, and you can actually see the chili sign right behind them in the window.
According to stories collected from the Winnsboro News, Dad Brewer was a real character with a couple of famous quirks. Whenever you ordered, he’d whistle through his teeth and say, "Psss Sho," which was his way of saying, "I understand and I'll get to it shortly." He was also great with the local kids. He kept a clear glass jug of sliced dill pickles on the counter, and the kids loved to snitch them. He’d jokingly run his butcher knife over the rim of the jug to try and stop the "pickle snatchin'," but he always let them get away with it because he loved the fun.
As for the two young ladies standing behind him with their hands on their hips, they caused a bit of mystery when this photo resurfaced years later, but locals eventually identified them.
The girl on the left is Eddie Moore Troxlar. She didn't actually work there, but she was posing with them that day.
The girl on the right is her friend, Virginia Rayburn (later Virginia Rayburn Morris), who did work at the shop.
There's a slight debate on when the photo was taken. Eddie remembered it being around the summer of 1944. However, records show Dad Brewer actually sold the business to a Mr. and Mrs. Dee Giddens a bit earlier, in September of 1943.
Where's your favorite place to get a hamburger? What ingredients are must-haves and deal-breakers for a great hamburger?
Managed by the Winnsboro TX Historical Museum Archives.
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