The "The Sweetest Shoppe In Lancaster: Part I" Story

The original Miesse Candies picturing owners Daniel Miesse, Cathrine
Miesse his wife and Charlotte C. Miesse their daughter.  Taken in 1878.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching the peanut butter dollops covered with a white fondant travel down the belt of the 42 1/2 feet long enrober to be covered top and bottom with milk chocolate then receive a slight twist from a small hand-held tool by a young girl before they go through the cooling part of the enrober, then packaged and off to a candy lover.  Carol and I are standing in the center of the Miesse's Candy factory at 118 North Water Street in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Couple of weeks ago I stopped in the brand new Miesse's store at 2065 Fruitville Pike at the Overlook Town Center for a box of chocolates for my wife for Valentine's Day.  While in the store I noticed a flyer that said I could make a visit to the factory in downtown Lancaster to see how the candy was made.  

This photo shows Daniel and Cathrine's son Roy.  He is on the
right and was serving in France when the photo was taken.

Called the owner Tracy and she was more than willing to take Carol and I on a tour of her operation. Upon arrival we were quickly ushered into the factory to see the last of the peanut butter ball candies go through the line, than taken into the store for some background into the business that Tracy purchased in 2011 after working part-time at the candy manufacturer for about a half a year.  High above the candy cabinets in the store are photos telling the history of the company that was started in 1875 as a grocery store on Chestnut Street in the city.  Miesse candies became so popular that Daniel and Catherine Miesse, three years later, moved their business to 48 North Queen Street  in downtown Lancaster.  A photo of the store at 48 North Queen proclaimed across the top of it "Ice Cream & Water Ice", but the sign visible on the sidewalk stated "Miesse Candies".  Another photo was of Daniel and Catherine's son Roy who had traveled throughout France during WWI while serving in the military and had brought back the candy making skills that were put to use in the store.  

This was the Conestoga Wagon that traveled throughout
Lancaster making deliveries and selling candy.

Another photo showed the covered Conestoga Wagon that was used throughout Lancaster to deliver the confection- 
eries that were made by Miesse's.  Then I saw it … the bright red Miesse candy box.  Immediately brought back memories from over 50 years ago.  When I was a child I would often visit with my grandmother who lived at 145 N. Pine Street in Lancaster city and sample the candy that she always seemed to have on her kitchen table.  Can still see that shiny bright red box that held the neatest variety of chocolates that she would buy at the Miesse's Candy Store that was located by that time at 31 North Queent St.  Tracy told us that the candy made at her factory is all made by hand in the traditional manner.  

An old candy mold stands in front of an early R.C. Miesse
candy box.  This was the style of box I remembered my grand-
mother having on her kitchen table when I would come to visit.

Most of the equipment is either from the original Miesse's factory or purchased in the early 1900's with the exception of the enrober which was purchased in 1962 and the cooker which replaced the one that broke during moving to the new factory on Water Street last year. Well, enough of the history of the company.  The sweet smell of chocolate tells me it's time to head back into the factory and see more of how the confectionaries are made.  Tomorrow will give you a look at how candy was made in the late 1800's before a man by the name of Milton S. Hershey opened his caramel factory on nearby Church Street and sold his confectionaries from a cart along the streets of historic Lancaster.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.