Lancaster Caramel Company
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The Lancaster Caramel Company of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...
, was founded by
Milton S. Hershey Milton Snavely Hershey (September 13, 1857 – October 13, 1945) was an American chocolatier, businessman, and philanthropist. Trained in the confectionery business, Hershey pioneered the manufacture of caramel, using fresh milk. He launched t ...
in 1886. It was Hershey's first successful candy company and helped him build a reputation.


History

The business was first located in a warehouse on the west side of South Duke Street near Vine Street. However, the facilities lacked a boiler to cook the caramels and Hershey soon moved to an old factory building on Church Street that had once housed the Edison Electric Plant. The early months were a struggle, but a British candy importer placed a large order and the cashier at the Lancaster County National Bank backed a loan, enabling Hershey to purchase supplies. As the business began to grow, Hershey expanded into other parts of the factory building. By 1894 the Lancaster Caramel Company employed approximately 1300 workers."Lancaster Caramel Company", Hershey Community Archives
/ref> In 1891 Hershey acquired three lots and a small factory in
Mount Joy, Pennsylvania Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,346 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 8,323 in 2021. Name and origin The name is often shortened to "Mt Joy", as in Mencken (1963).Mencken (1963) p. ...
and the new factory soon began caramel production. In 1892, Lancaster Caramel Company expanded, opening a western branch in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, which later moved to
Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington ...
. The Bloomington factory operated until 1900 when it was sold to the Paul F. Beich Company. Shortly after establishing the Western Branch, Hershey set up a third caramel factory in
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
. The Lancaster Caramel Company was incorporated on February 8, 1894 and the
Hershey Chocolate Company The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milksh ...
was formally organized as a subsidiary. In the Spring of 1900, believing caramels were a fad, Milton Hershey sold the assets of the caramel business including the factory, the machinery, the confectionery formulas, stock on hand and the Crystal A trademark for $1 million in cash to the American Caramel Company. Hershey kept the
Hershey Chocolate Company The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milksh ...
subsidiary plus the chocolate making equipment because he felt that there was a large market for
chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
confections.


The American Caramel Company


P.C. Wiest Co.

The American Caramel Company grew out of an industry established by Peter C. Wiest in 1867. He was a pioneer in the manufacture of caramels and soon developed a successful business. In 1878,
Daniel F. Lafean Daniel Franklin Lafean (February 7, 1861 – April 18, 1922) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography Lafean was born in York, Pennsylvania to Germans, German i ...
became a partner and the firm of P. C. Wiest & Company was organized. The original proprietor retired from the business and in 1895 The P. C. Wiest Company was incorporated with Daniel F. Lafean as president. Lafean was instrumental in establishing the American Caramel Company; which was created March 28, 1898 when the Breisch-Hine Company in Philadelphia merged with The P. C. Wiest & Company in
York, Pennsylvania York ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populati ...
. The home office of the American Caramel Company was located in York. The American Caramel Company was created on March 28, 1889, when the Breisch-Hine Co. of Philadelphia and the P. C. Wiest Co. of York, Pennsylvania, merged. After acquiring the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1900, the American Caramel Company became famous by including baseball and other cards in with its candies. With the addition of the Lancaster Caramel Company, the American Caramel Company grew to control 90% of the caramel in the country. The American Caramel Company was one of the early businesses to issue of Baseball Cards with their product. In December 1928, The American Caramel Company shut down the York Plant, moving the candy making machinery to a more modern facility.


References

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External links


Hershey's Website

Hershey Community Archives Website
Culture of Lancaster, Pennsylvania Confectionery companies of the United States History of Lancaster, Pennsylvania Companies based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania The Hershey Company