The MoonPie and the Coal Miner's Lunch: Story and Facts

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The MoonPie and the Coal Miner's Lunch is a story told about Chattanooga Bakery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County. Vote believe it or no way, then see what 2 named sources say is documented.

LegendKind of story
2Named sources
Chattanooga & SoutheastRegion
Oct 30Checked, 2026

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Local legend. Not confirmed. Just for fun.

No. 11 of 12

The MoonPie and The Coal Miner’s Lunch

People say that in 1917 a coal miner in Kentucky asked a traveling salesman from the Chattanooga Bakery for a snack as big as the moon. The salesman, Earl Mitchell, carried the idea back to Chattanooga, and the bakery made a big, filling treat of marshmallow between two cookies, dipped in chocolate. It sold for a nickel and fit in a lunch pail. The treat became the MoonPie.

What The Sources Document

The company's own About page (moonpie.com) tells the story this way: in 1917 a Kentucky coal miner asked traveling salesman Earl Mitchell for a snack "as big as the moon," Mitchell passed the request to the bakery, which made it and named it MoonPie, and it sold for 5 cents. The Tennessee Encyclopedia entry "Chattanooga Bakery Company" (last updated March 1, 2018) gives a different, shorter account: the bakery was founded in 1903 as part of Mountain City Flour Mill, and around 1919 a traveling salesman returned with client requests for a baked good that was more than a cookie, producing a large snack that cost a nickel. That entry does not mention coal miners, Kentucky, Earl Mitchell or the year 1917. So the sources differ on the year (1917 from the company, around 1919 from the Tennessee Encyclopedia) and only the company names the miner and the salesman. We did not find a dated newspaper or archive record of the miner's request, so the miner story is the company's legend. What is documented is that the Chattanooga Bakery, founded in 1903, made the MoonPie, that it sold for a nickel, and that it is still an independent family-owned company in Chattanooga.

Sources: About Us (MoonPie / Chattanooga Bakery, official site); Chattanooga Bakery Company (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

A Note

The company and the Tennessee Encyclopedia give different years, and only the company tells the coal-miner story.

Its home: MoonPie About Us (Chattanooga Bakery). Official page.

On this site: Chattanooga Travel Guide, Chattanooga Events.

Looked for and Not Found

A Library of Congress item or dated newspaper article recording the miner's request
Any source we could cite that gives an exact first-bake date
The Tennessee Encyclopedia mentioning coal miners, Earl Mitchell or the year 1917

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Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: About Us (MoonPie / Chattanooga Bakery, official site); Chattanooga Bakery Company (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

Sources

Read on October 30, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Cite this page: It's Tennessee, “The MoonPie and The Coal Miner’s Lunch”, itstennessee.com/legends/moonpie-chattanooga-coal-miner-lunch/ (updated 2026-11-01). By the It's Tennessee editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

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