Lancaster Caramel Company facts for kids
The Lancaster Caramel Company was a candy company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Milton S. Hershey started it in 1886. This company was his first big success in making candy. It helped him become well-known in the candy world.
History of the Company
Milton Hershey first set up his business in a warehouse. It was on South Duke Street in Lancaster. However, this place did not have the right equipment to cook caramels. So, Hershey soon moved to an old factory building. This building used to be an electric plant.
The first few months were difficult for the company. But then, a candy importer from Britain placed a very large order. Also, a bank helped Hershey get a loan. This allowed him to buy the supplies he needed. As the business grew, Hershey used more parts of the factory. By 1894, the Lancaster Caramel Company had about 1,300 workers.
In 1891, Hershey bought some land and a small factory. This new factory was in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Soon, it also started making caramels. In 1892, the Lancaster Caramel Company grew even more. It opened a new branch in Chicago. This branch later moved to Bloomington, Illinois. The Bloomington factory made caramels until 1900. Then, it was sold to another company. Soon after opening the Chicago branch, Hershey started a third caramel factory. This one was in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The Lancaster Caramel Company officially became a corporation on February 8, 1894. The Hershey Chocolate Company was also created as a smaller part of the business. In the spring of 1900, Milton Hershey thought that caramels were just a passing trend. He decided to sell his caramel business. He sold the factory, machines, candy recipes, and all the candy he had. He sold it for $1 million in cash to the American Caramel Company. Hershey kept the Hershey Chocolate Company and his chocolate-making equipment. He believed that chocolate candies had a much bigger future.
The American Caramel Company
How it Started
The American Caramel Company grew from a business started by Peter C. Wiest in 1867. He was one of the first people to make caramels. His business quickly became very successful. In 1878, Daniel F. Lafean joined him as a partner. They formed a company called P. C. Wiest & Company. Peter C. Wiest later retired from the business. In 1895, The P. C. Wiest Company became a corporation. Daniel F. Lafean was its president.
Lafean was very important in starting the American Caramel Company. It was created on March 28, 1898. This happened when two companies joined together. They were the Breisch-Hine Company from Philadelphia and The P. C. Wiest & Company from York, Pennsylvania. The main office of the American Caramel Company was in York.
The American Caramel Company became very famous after it bought the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1900. It became known for putting baseball cards and other cards inside its candy packages. With the Lancaster Caramel Company joining, the American Caramel Company became very large. It controlled about 90% of all the caramels made in the country. The American Caramel Company was one of the first businesses to give out Baseball Cards with its products. In December 1928, The American Caramel Company closed its factory in York. It moved its candy-making machines to a newer, more modern building.
See also
In Spanish: Lancaster Caramel Company para niños
