The Hole Truth: Seafaring Donut Inventor Buried in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a small obsession with donuts and it may be because we are the home to its inventor's final resting place.

Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory is the official inventor of what we can't seem to get enough of: donuts. Several stories are making the rounds about how he landed on the culinary masterpiece in 1847, apparently while a young crewman on a ship.

One bizarre version of the story goes that he tried out a recipe during a voyage out at sea. Talk about responsibility. When he needed to set the dough down, he placed it, naturally, on a spoke, piercing a hole right through it.

Yes, this seems a bit far-fetched, as I don't think many sailors were known to cook while navigating the sea. Times may have been different then, however.

Likely closer to the truth, it's said he wasn't happy with the baked goods being served on the ship and intentionally removed the center in a successful attempt to improve the taste and texture.

Whatever the truth is, there's no disputing the future captain changed the course of history by knocking out the middle of the sugary treats. Almost two centuries later, the donut is as popular as ever. As for those unpopular middles, well, they made a comeback, too. Donut holes, anyone?

So, what ties this culinary genius to Massachusetts?

Well, it appears that while Hanson was born and raised in Maine, he is buried in Quincy at Snug Harbor Sailor Cemetery.

The National Donut Committee and the National Bakers Association both recognize him as the donut's inventor.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that the original Dunkin' is located just miles away from his burial site. The Quincy location opened almost exactly 100 years after the donut was invented.

In June 2024, we will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the donut and on National Donut Day we should raise our favorite donut in the captain's honor.