Wikipedia says cheese corn curls were invented by a man in Texas citing a 1949 newspaper article. I know for a fact that an extruded corn curl snack was being made in Arcanum, Ohio as early as 1947 across the alley from my home. I often helped make and pack the extruded corn curls, which were sent to Indiana for addition of the cheese flavoring, salt and color. Frito-Lay makes a big deal about their "secret" manufacturing process, but I know how a similar product was made in 1947, and they looked just like Cheetos do today.