Harrison County Trivia

Harrison County resident Marion Waltman patented a Mardi Gras "Queen" Cake to rival the well-known King Cake. "Instead of the oval shape of traditional king cakes, Waltman's cakes are braided in the silhouette of a queen in a flowing gown. A Mardi Gras mask is her face. Purple, green and gold feathers trail above her head." (Sun Herald, Jan. 21, 2005) He baked the first one in 1998, and it took him six years to obtain the patent. The cakes have cream cheese, cinnamon, or fruit fillings, but they lack the plastic baby of the King Cake.