Encyclopedia 2014
Looking Back: Hershey Chocolate Products
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate is one of the great iconic American products. Introduced in 1900, it has delighted generations of candy lovers. Not all products are so successful. This week’s blog post takes a look at some of Hershey’s less successful products that were introduced with high hopes, only to be discontinued a few years (or months!) […]
It Can Be Done: Milton Hershey and the Edgar Guest Show
In Hershey, we like to think that all roads lead to our special town. And it is pretty amazing the people who show up here. And if they don’t show up here, they want Hershey to come to them. Milton Hershey was not someone to seek the limelight. In fact, at times he traveled under an […]
The Hershey Idea
Milton Hershey envisioned building a community in which all the parts were interwoven. He built a model town for the workers of chocolate factory AND the workers in the businesses he established to provide services to make the town an attractive and functional place to live. His desire to share his approach to business was […]
Building Hershey: C. Emlen Urban
This Sunday (October 5, 2014) The Hershey Story and the Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society are hosting a special walking tour of our downtown. The tour will highlight some of the many buildings designed by noted architect, Cassius Emlem Urban, better known as Emlen to his friends. Mr. Urban was responsible for the design of some […]
Back to School! Again!
By now, students everywhere are back in school. We can definitely feel it here in Hershey, as Hersheypark has closed, except for a few more weekends, and Hershey residents can drive through town without being slowed by tourist traffic. Hershey residents take pride in the quality of our public school system. Good schools were valued by Milton […]
Time to Shop!
For many children, next week means back to school. A lot of shopping will be taking place between now and Monday to prepare for a new year. In Hershey, shopping options have evolved over the years. Today, Hershey has a wide array of retail venues that are housed at an outlet center located off of Hersheypark Drive. […]
Taking to the Skies: Hershey Air Park
By the 1930s, air travel had moved from fantasy to reality for more and more people. Small airfields seemed to be popping up everywhere as various government departments worked to encourage a network of air fields across the United States. In addition to providing landing strips for private airplanes, these air fields provided mechanical repairs […]
Reese’s Pieces: E.T.’s Favorite Candy
How a great candy was saved from oblivion by a small alien visitor from outer space OR the story of Reese’s Pieces, E.T.’s favorite candy. In the 1950s, Hershey Chocolate developed the capability for panning; that is, sugar-coating a product. M&Ms are probably the best known example of a panned candy product. Hershey’s first panned […]
A Key to the Past: Hershey Chocolate Factory Architectural Plans
This post was provided by Archives Assistant, Julia Morrow. The original Hershey Chocolate Factory has dominated the streetscape of Chocolate Avenue in Hershey, PA ever since ground was broken in 1903. The factory is not a single structure, but a complex of buildings that were constructed over several decades. Once Milton S. Hershey started building, he didn’t […]
A New Ride for a New Park: Trailblazer Roller Coaster
Did you know that Hersheypark has 12 (12!) roller coasters? And that most of them have been added to the park in the last 23 years? For most of the Park’s existence, only one roller coaster was present. Hershey Park’s first roller coaster, The Wild Cat, began operating in 1923. In 1946, it was disassembled to make way […]
Providing for the Community: Hershey Hospital
Milton Hershey’s commitment to providing a wide range of services was impressive. While opportunities for education, recreation and cultural activities have often been described in various publications and other venues, his commitment to ensuring the health of his community is not often discussed. Hershey’s first health facility opened in 1918 in response to a devastating influenza epidemic. […]
Great Things Sometimes Start Small: H.B. Reese and the Reese Candy Company
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are one of the United States’ best loved candies. First introduced around 1928, the PB cups were not a stand-alone treat, but were marketed as part of an assortment of candies that you could buy by the weight. They were named for their creator, Harry Burnett Reese. Unlike Milton Hershey, it […]
Hershey’s Syrup: Chocolate Goodness in a Tin
Introduction It wasn’t until 1926 that Hershey Chocolate Company began manufacturing and marketing chocolate syrup. When Hershey’s Syrup was first introduced, it was marketed to commercial users (i.e. bakers, soda fountains, restaurants). Commercial chocolate syrup was marketed in two strengths: single and double. Single strength was promoted for use in soda fountain pumps for making carbonated beverages. Double strength was used […]
Fore! Origins of the Hershey Country Club
In 1928, Milton Hershey authorized the construction of two new golf courses for Hershey. The first course was located next to Hershey Park and was named the Hershey Parkview course. Parkview was a public course, open to all golfers. The second course was laid out on land surrounding Milton Hershey’s home, High Point. This course incorporated the remaining holes of Hershey’s […]
Hershey’s Community Gardens
Evidence to the contrary, Spring is just around the corner. As soon as the ground thaws, gardeners will be out, clearing away winter’s debris, preparing the garden beds and planting the first crops of the season: cabbage, beets, snow peas, kale and broccoli, to name a few. Home gardens are a great way to grow […]
Skating for the Gold: 1953 United States Figure Skating Championship
What’s not to love about ice skating? One of the highlights for me while watching the Winter Olympics is all the figure skating. I love the beauty and creativity and greatly admire the athleticism needed to make it look so graceful. Hershey also loves figure skating. The sport has been an important sport in Hershey since the Hershey Skating […]
Something for the Ladies: Hershey’s YWCA
In the Fall of 1909 articles began appearing in the Hershey Press about wanting to start a YMCA in Hershey. Milton Hershey drew his support behind the plan, providing space in the Cocoa House for the organization to hold its meetings and events. The successful launch of the “Y” in early 1910 probably prompted the women […]
Looking Back: Hershey’s First Chocolate Products
In February 1894, Hershey Chocolate Company was established after Milton Hershey purchased some chocolate making machinery he had seen exhibited at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Mr. Hershey was excited by the challenge of learning to make a different confectionery product: chocolate. Before long, he was making semi-sweet chocolate for use with his caramel products. […]
Building to Impress: A New Home for the Hershey Trust Company
New Year. New Exhibit. We’ve just mounted a new display in the Archives’ exhibit case in the Grand Lobby of The Hershey Story. This time the exhibit takes a look at building a new building for Hershey Trust Company. Once Milton Hershey set his mind to something, he moved quickly and decisively. And building a town for his new […]
Following in Your Father’s Footsteps?
Milton Hershey’s father, Henry Hershey, is a bit of an enigma. Henry Hershey came from a well-to-do Lancaster County Mennonite farming family. As the first-born (he had six siblings!), he should have been the responsible child, shouldering family responsibilities and following in his father’s footsteps as a successful farmer. However, Henry Hershey did not fit the mould […]