The "Lititz: Traditional Americana: Part II" Story

Foreword: This is the second part of a two-part story about the small town of Lititz, PA. This part will describe a few more of the landmarks in the town of under 10,000 residents which dates back to mid-1700.

It was an ordinary day. Roundin' the corner onto East Main Street off of South Broad/Rt. 501. Directly to the right is the General Sutter Inn and Bull's Head Pub. The Inn was established in 1764 and named "Zum Anker" (the sign of the anchor). The Inn then became the Lititz Springs hotel, then in 1930 the name was once again changed to The General Sutter Inn to honor John Augustus Sutter, a California Gold Rush pioneer, who lived his last seven years in Lititz, and is buried in the Moravian Cemetery. The pub was established in 2010 and is designed to resemble a traditional British pub. Another well-known landmark on East Main St. is the Sturgis Bakery, home of the Sturgis pretzel bakery. In 1850 Julius Sturgis ran a bread bakery but after eleven years gave up making bread and established the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. They still make pretzels today using the same old-fashioned recipe and methods established in 1861 at their bakery on East Main Street between Water St. and Cherry Lane. On East Main, as you just about leave Lititz towards the East end of town, is the Albert Glatz Tobacco Shop. Albert was the first tobacconist in Rome (Lititz) circa 1765. His log cabin carries the number 500 on the front door. Finally, one of the best know landmarks and businesses in Lititz is the Wilbur Chocolate Factory maker of my favorite, The Wilbur Bud. The chocolate factory was founded in 1865 by Henry Oscar Wilbur and Samuel Croft. They produced more than 150 million pounds of chocolate a year; almost 15 thousand pounds for every resident of Lititz. In 1992 the company was bought by Cargill and their name appears on the labels of Wilbur Chocolate. If you are ever in Lititz, visit the Candy Americana Museum and see how chocolate is made as well as pick up some of your own Wilbur Buds which were introduced in 1893. Hey, come to think of it, I will need to get a bag of Wilbur Buds before I head home or my wife will be upset. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos below will help to illustrate the story you just read.

Information on the plaque below about General Sutter whose photo of the Inn which bears his name follows.

This photo of the General Sutter Inn right off the square in Lititz shows the date that it was established on the right-hand window. In the distance is the entrance to the Bulls Head Pub.

The following photo will help describe the photo that follows it.

Two young patrons of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery enjoy their recent purchases.

Information from this photo will describe the photo that follows.

Wilbur Chocolate Factory is on Broad Street in downtown Lititz. A retail store is part of the factory.

View of the chocolate factory looking North.