Charlie Nagreen was reportedly 15 years old when he sold hamburgers at the 1885 Seymour Fair.
Nagreen was a teenage vendor from Wisconsin who initially sold meatballs at the fair. The commonly told story says that customers wanted to keep moving between attractions rather than stop to eat, so he flattened the meat and placed it between slices of bread. That portable serving method is why he is often described as an early hamburger innovator.
The fair was held in Seymour, in Outagamie County, and Nagreen became known as “Hamburger Charlie.” He reportedly returned to the event every year and continued selling his sandwiches until his death in 1951.
The wording “reportedly” matters because hamburger-invention stories rely partly on local tradition and were recorded long after the alleged events. Other claimants include Louis Lassen, the Menches brothers, and Fletcher Davis. Thus, Nagreen’s age is a biographical detail tied to his version of the story, not proof that he was the sole inventor.