Fascinating facts about the invention of the Hershey's milk chocolate bar by Milton S. Hershey in 1900.

For years, he worked at perfecting a viable recipe for making milk chocolate -- a process which up to then had been kept a closely guarded secret by the Swiss. Finally, through trial and error, he hit upon the right formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that enabled him to realize his dream of mass producing and distributing milk chocolate candy. What had once been a luxury for the rich, was to become an enjoyment that anyone could afford...the Hershey bar.

With his Hershey Chocolate Company growing by leaps and bounds, Hershey decided to sell his caramel company (for $1 million, an enormous sum in 1900!) and devote his attention to making chocolate.

Discovering a need to expand his production capacity, he began looking around for a suitable place to build a new factory. He found it in nearby Derry Township, where he had been born. Convenient to the port cities that could provide cocoa beans and sugar, surrounded by dairy farms and endowed with a hardworking populace, the area seemed ideal. In 1903, he broke ground.

Hershey’s success was not simply a matter of luck. Having learned from his past failures, he had become a shrewd and astute businessman. He believed, along with the more forward-thinking industrialists of the age, that workers who were treated fairly and who lived in a comfortable, pleasant environment would be better workers.

In 1918 and with no fanfare, Hershey transferred the bulk of his considerable wealth, including his ownership in the Hershey Chocolate Company and other enterprises, to the Hershey Trust to be held for the Hershey Industrial School.

With the death of Milton Hershey in 1945, the company, town and institutions that bear his name were well positioned to continue and grow. The Hershey Chocolate Corporation has evolved into Hershey Foods Corporation, a profitable company encompassing a range of products found in homes throughout the world.

TO LEARN MORE

RELATED INFORMATION:
Inventor Milton Hershey Biography   from The Great Idea Finder
History of Food and Snacks   from The Great Idea Finder

ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Milton S. Hershey (Limited availability)
by Katherine Binney Shippen, Paul A. W. Wallace / Paper - 40 pages / Random house (1959)
This book is dedicated to the thousands of boys and now girls whom Milton Hershey gave a fuller, happier life.
The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars
by Joël Glenn Brenner / Paperback: 384 pages / Broadway; 1st Broadw edition (January 4, 2000)
The chocolate wars between industry giants Hershey and Mars are anything but sweet. In The Emperors of Chocolate, Joel Glenn Brenner reveals the bitter legal and marketing fights, palace intrigue, and personality clashes that dominate Hershey and Mars--and the candy industry as a whole.
Chocolate by Hershey: A Story About Milton S. Hershey
by Betty Burford, Loren Chantland / Paperback: 64 pages / Carolrhoda Books (November 1, 1994)
This biography is a well-rounded presentation that shows the successes and difficulties of this entrepreneur's life. The black-and-white somewhat grainy illustrations are reminiscent of photographs of the period. Average fare about the life of a highly creative man.

ON THE SCREEN:
Candy
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 75814 / Less than $25.00
Americans eat 7 billion tons of candy, and it all has to come from somewhere. In Hershey, Pennsylvania, see how the cocoa bean is processed at the candy giant's latest plant. The traditions of the past remain plain at Schimpff's Confectionary, where they still use small kettles, natural flavors, and hand-operated equipment. Jelly beans, saltwater taffy and licorice are also on the menu, as well as exotic creations like scorpion on a stick!
Biography - Milton Hershey: The Chocolate King  
DVD / Color, Closed-captioned / NR / A & E Home Video / 50 min. / ASIN: B0002V7NTI
This is a great video and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever enjoyed a piece of chocolate! The video moves fast, and is fascinating, motivating, as well as informative.

ON THE WEB:
The Hershey Company
A leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products, with revenues of over $4 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide.
(URL: www.thehersheycompany.com/)
Milton S. Hershey: The Man & His Legacy
With the death of Milton Hershey in 1945, the company, town and institutions that bear his name were well positioned to continue and grow.
(URL: www.hersheys.com/discover/milton/milton.asp)
Hershey Timeline
For over 100 years, HERSHEY'S milk chocolate has been an American favorite with a taste as rich as its history.
(URL: www.hersheys.com/products/details/hersheysbar.asp)
Life of Milton S. Hershey
His deeds are his monument. His life is our inspiration. From Hershey, PA Web site, the sweetest place on earth.
(URL: www.hersheypa.com/town_of_hershey/history/)
 

WORDS OF WISDOM:
“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands -- and then eat just one of the pieces.” - Judith Viorst (b1931-)

"Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate." - Sandra Boynton

"Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!" -  Anonymous

"There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love chocolate, and communists." - Leslie Moak Murray in ‘Murray's Law’ comic strip

"Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing." - Milton Snavely Hershey

DID YOU KNOW?:

• Frequent family moves interrupted Milton Hershey's schooling and left him with a limited education. He only completed the fourth grade.
• Today, Milton Hershey's mansion serves as the headquarters for Hershey Foods Corporation.
• Hershey, PA is the home of the world's largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturing plant.