Where does Cornhole actually come from?

A Cornhole set can increasingly be found around the corner. Last summer I saw many people from young to old playing the Bean Bag Toss game or “Baggo” in the parks, gardens, sports clubs and parties! Cornhole was one of the few games that was still considered Corona-proof. Cornhole is rapidly gaining popularity in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe and the same question is often asked after an intense and competitive game: “Where does Cornhole actually come from?” As the starting point of Cornhole in the Netherlands, it was our job to delve further into this!

Roots of Cornhole
To discover the roots of Cornhole we have to make an overseas trip to the United States. If there is one city that is completely under the spell of Cornhole, it is Cincinnati, located in the state of Ohio. It is therefore not surprising that the city claims to be the home of the game Cornhole. The city claims to be the first where residents filled bags with corn kernels and tried to throw them into holes.

Cincinnati faces competition from the American Midwest. Cornhole is immensely popular in the state of Kentucky. Now part of mid-western culture is the story of pioneer Jebediah McGillicuddy, who is said to have played the first version of “Baggo” in the distinctive mountains of Kentucky after which the game spread.

Of course, the pioneers from Cincinnati and Kentucky were not the first inhabitants of the American landscape. The legend tells the story of resourceful Native Americans who lived in Illinois. They would make bags out of dried bladders (Yes, bladders) and fill them with corn kernels and then play competitively with them. If you happened to wonder how the first balloons were made, you now have two answers!

German influence on Cornhole
An alternative explanation brings us much closer to home and to our friendly German neighbors! America is characterized by gigantic farming landscapes and these farmers traditionally often come from our German neighbors. The story goes that German pioneer Matthias Kuepermann saw children throwing stones into holes made in the ground. This gave the man the idea to design bags and wooden boards for safety. The game would then have become very popular in, yes: Cincinnati. For now, two points for the pioneers from Cincinnati.

Yet, in addition to stories that have survived generations, there is also hard evidence of Cornhole's early roots in the United States. In 1883, Heyliger de Windt's applied for a patent for “Parlor Quoits”. In this game there was a square hole instead of a round hole in the board. This game was the first recorded game where bags filled with corn kernels were thrown to a wooden board with a hole in it.

Cornhole remains popular at all times
After a dive into the history of Cornhole, the question still remains where exactly the addictive Bean Bag game came from. Just like agriculture, Cornhole probably originated in several places at the same time, although its origins are almost certainly in the United States. What is at least as important is what the different locations have in common and that is: good food, drinks, family, friends and a very pleasant time. Cornhole appears to be timeless and the game can be enjoyed anywhere.