The "Candy Maker of Lancaster, PA: Part II" Story

Milton S. Hershey

It was an ordinary day. Pretty much the same as yesterday; I'm sitting by my computer with a Hershey bar close by, striking the keys as I finish my story on Milton Hershey who began his successful career as a confectioner in Lancaster, PA when he founded the hugely successful Lancaster Caramel Company.  My story begins today with the breaking of ground for his new manufacturing plant in Derry Township on the site where he was born.  It was back in the late 1890s that he realized that his future was in chocolate rather than in the production of caramel candy and he sold his company in Lancaster and quietly bought land in Derry Township.  In 1903 he started construction on six acres of farm land.  Some thought he was insane to build in such a remote location, but he had a master plan in mind.  He had the much needed supply of fresh milk  right in his neighborhood with the dairy farms.  He was close to the Dauphin-Reading Turnpike for receiving his shipments of sugar and cocoa beans which could easily be delivered from the Ports of New York and Philadelphia and he had plans to build a town around his venture to supply him with the necessary employees needed to work the plant.  The following year he began on the consturction of homes for the workers as well as a new mansion near the plant for he and his wife.  The houses all had indoor plumbing as well as electricity, which at the time was uncommon.  Soon to follow was a trolley system, bank, post office, schools, churches, parks and a zoo.  This visionary wanted nothing but the best for his future employees.  In 1905 The Hershey Chocolate Company was in full production and the following year the town of Hershey, PA was officially named.  In 1907 Milton made one of his biggest introductions to the world with a conical candy he named the "Kiss".  At first they were individually wrapped by hand in silver foil until 1921 when machine wrapping started and the familiar "plume" was added to the top.  In April of 1907 Hershey Park opened and was gradually expanded with the addition of rides.  The park had free admission, with a per ride payment, until the early 70s when a charge was added for admission.  The following year the Hershey family finally moved into their new mansion which was  designed by C. Emlen Urban, the architect for his home in Lancaster.  In 1909 Milton and Catherine signed the Deed of Trust for the founding of the Hershey Industrial School for orphan boys to help train them in several trades.  My baseball coach in the summer of 1959 was Mr. Bob Beitzel who became close friends with me over the years.  He owned a type composition business which I used in my printing and often would tell me stories about Mr. Hershey and the chance he gave him to learn his trade at The Milton Hershey School.  Bob later became the Godfather for my daughter Brynn.  An interesting side story about Mr. and Mrs. Hershey happened in 1912 when they bought tickets to travel on the ill-fated liner Titanic.  Shortly before they were to sail, Catherine became ill and they had to cancel their reservations.  Seems he had all the luck.  The Hershey Museum has a copy of the check that Milton wrote to the White Star Line for a first-class stateroom on the Titanic.  In 1915, Kitty, his beloved wife of 17 years died.  The following year he traveled to Cuba with his mother and eventually built the largest sugar refinery on the island as well as a town similar to his town in Hershey for the workers of the refinery.  Also built the Hershey Cuban Railroad to get suplies to the refinery.  Naturally the sugar was to supply his chocolate plant back home.  It was also in 1918 that he established the Milton Hershey School Trust and made the school the heir to $60 million of stock in the company.  During World War II Hershey Chocolate Company supplied Field Ration "D" (daily) to the U.S. military. over the next few years they provided one billion chocolate bars designed not to melt.  It was during this time that the Hershey Kisses were taken out of production because of the shortage of the silver foil that was needed for wrapping.  In 1945, 88-year-old Milton celebrated his birthday in the same room of the farmhouse where he had been born.  How fitting this would be considering that he died the following month.  He died having personal wealth of only $20,000, having given the rest away, mostly to the school that bore his name.  In 1963 the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of the Penn State University was founded with $50 million awarded from the Milton S. Hershey School Trust.  Another interesting side note is that in 1968 the first African American students were admitted to the Milton Hershey School and in 1977 the first girls were admitted.  I am proud to say that probably the best known confectioner in the history of our country was born, raised and became famous right around the corner from me in Hershey, PA, "The Sweetest Place on Earth."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The opening of the plant in 1905

Ground view from the same side of the company

Another view showing the trolley line leading to the factory to drop off workers.

The town of Hershey, PA

Aerial view of Hershey Chocolate Company and surrounding town

The U.S. Army Field Ration D bar and the Tropical Chocolate Bar

Milton S. Hershey and friend H.B. Harry Reese in 1928 when Reese's Peanut Butter Company was located in Hershey.  Reese's used Hershey chocolate for their "penny cups" and the wrapper claimed "Made in Chocolate Town, so they must be good."  7 years after Mr. Reese died in 1957, Hershey Chocolate Company bought Reese's.

This is one of the views that I am familiar with when traveling to Hershey, PA