Article by Greg Rickman, Tiffin Ambassador
Last fall, I had the opportunity of attending the Hershey RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. My wife was mega excited about this trip, not because of the RV show, but for the CHOCOLATE! But like most people, I knew nothing about the inspiration behind the tasty treat or the town born from its creation. And that inspiration was Milton S. Hershey.
Milton Snavely Hershey was born September 13, 1857 in rural Derry Township, Pennsylvania to parents Henry and Fanny Hershey. His father Henry was a dreamer, and although most of those dreams did not come true, he had the ability to envision what “could be”, and he passed that visionary way on to his son Milton.
Milton never liked going to school and by age 13, he had dropped out and became an apprentice at a printing shop. He didn’t fare very well at that so his mother suggested he come up with something he could sell. Being a sweet fanatic, he decided that candy was his passion and became an apprentice at an ice cream shop at age 14. He spent the next four years learning how to make all sorts of candy before deciding to break out on his own.
Milton started his first candy business at age 18 in Philadelphia with $150 he borrowed from his aunt. That business failed and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. In 1882, he traveled to Denver where he learned how to make caramels, which were very popular at the time. While training under a confectioner, he learned to make caramels with fresh milk, which was originally intended to extend the shelf life of the candy but also enhanced the flavor.
With this training, he opened up a shop in New York City and worked nights on his confection while working during the day for another confectioner. That business also eventually failed and again he was forced to declare bankruptcy.
Milton’s life changed forever, when in 1893, he attended the Great Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For the first time, he saw machinery made in Germany for making chocolate. This had never been displayed in the United States before. Chocolate was a very expensive candy at the time and only the very rich could afford such a delicacy. But after watching a demonstration of the chocolate production process at the Expo, Milton felt that he could bring this process back to Lancaster and mass produce chocolate for people of every class. So, in 1894, Milton bought all of the machinery from the Expo, brought it back to Lancaster, and the Hershey Chocolate Company was formed.
The newly formed company was soon in full production, business was booming, and Milton was finally out of poverty. In 1898, he married Catherine Sweeney, whom he affectionately called Kitty. He had met her while delivering caramels to another candy shop in New York City. She was very witty and full of constant joy which directly appealed to the normally shy and reserved Milton. But it was a perfect example of complementarity. So, in 1900, he sold the caramel company he had formed to a competitor for one million dollars and went full steam into producing just chocolate. And, on an interesting side note, Milton went back to everyone who had lent him money during those two failed business attempts and paid them back in full to make up for their losses during those bankruptcies. That was the kind of man Milton Hershey was.
Milton had been working on what would become a revolutionary invention. That was the process of adding fresh milk to chocolate. With this new found fortune, he took the biggest step of his life. He selected a large piece of land in the green fields of Derry Church, Pennsylvania and built what would soon be called “the factory in the corn field”, his chocolate factory.
But as that dream took shape, another one came to the ever so visionary Milton. He envisioned the creation of an actual town around his chocolate factory, one where his employees could live and prosper. The area had plenty of fresh water and most importantly, fresh milk for his candy in abundance from the local dairy farmers. He mapped out streets for the employee homes to sit on and a trolley system to get them to and from work. Parks, buildings and streets were constructed and electrical and sewer grids were installed. And just like that, the town of Hershey was born in 1903.
As the town of Hershey thrived, Milton built a home for his beloved Kitty, which was beautiful but somewhat simple for a man of his wealth at the time. Milton and Kitty held a great love for children but were unable to have any of their own. Milton’s parents had separated when he was young, which had a great impact on him. So in 1909, they opened a home in Hershey for orphaned boys so that they could grow up in a loving environment while getting a proper education. Milton wanted to create something more stable for them than he had growing up. It was called the Hershey Industrial School.
In the same year, the Hershey Park opened and entertained over 100,000 people in its first summer. He also opened a zoo on the property, which is still there today. Every year, Milton would close the park to guests and allow his employees to enjoy all the rides and attractions free of charge. He truly loved all of his employees and they were devoted to him as well.
During this period, Kitty’s health began to fail and she died in 1915. Milton was devastated and poured himself into his work, sometimes rolling up his sleeves and laboring right alongside his employees. He had very strong beliefs that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue a good and successful life. To further this cause, in 1918 he donated his entire fortune, a staggering sixty million dollars, to form the Hershey School Trust to provide for the community he had built. Today, the school is called Milton Hershey School. Each year, the school provides over 2000 boys and girls with educational and social training to give them the skills and resources they need to build a successful life. It is a thriving school still today and has branched out to other underprivileged children and their parents. The children are given a free education and the parents are provided with educational training and parental counseling.
During the Great Depression, Milton feared that the thriving business and town he had created would certainly face economic disaster. In an effort to support the community and keep people at work, Milton started what is now called the Great Building Campaign. He took workers from the chocolate factory and the surrounding area and built many large structures including Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Community Theatre which are still standing today. He also built parks, churches and a bank to support the community.
When he died in 1945 at the age 88, Milton left behind a legacy, not only as a master chocolate and candy maker, but also a great philanthropist and innovator. His generosity and caring for other people still shine in the Hershey community today.
Now let’s talk about chocolate. It is EVERYWHERE! We took in several of the tours and attractions at Hershey’s Chocolate World including the famous trolly ride where I got most of the inspiration for this article. The tour guides were a wealth of information about Milton and the Hershey family history. The tour trolly is the old timey style streetcar with wooden seats and ornate decorations that rides you through the town of Hershey and surrounding areas. Everything, and I mean everything, is all about chocolate. Even the street lights are shaped like Hershey’s chocolate kisses!
The tour takes you past the production facilities for the famous Hershey bar and also the Reese factory. The original factory is closed but the iconic brick smoke stacks are still there and still prominently display “Hershey” on each stack. These working factories are closed for tours but they have built a simulation factory at Chocolate World to explore and learn about the production process. It also drives by Milton’s home and all of the schools that have been built from the Hershey School Trust. It is a thriving, clean and beautiful town. And the best part of the trolly tour? More chocolate! They actually hand some out on the trolly to taste!
Since it was considered off season, the amusement park was closed during our visit. But we took in most of the offered attractions inside Chocolate World including the Hershey’s Chocolate Tour ride, which is free, and takes you through a simulated factory production from the cocoa beans to the wrapper. We also did the Create Your Own Candy Bar experience where you actually don protective clothing and design and help produce your own candy bar with your own hand selected ingredients. It even comes with a decorative tin to store it in. That is, if you can resist not eating it right then!
I had never known anything about Hershey, Pennsylvania. In fact, I had never even been to Pennsylvania. The whole area is beautiful, with green rolling hills and Amish dairy farms lining the highways. The town of Hershey is delightful, clean and friendly. I traveled there for an RV show, but I left there with a deep respect for a great man who cared about others more than his own fortune or himself. And, thank goodness, he also cared about chocolate!
Greg’s dream was to own a motorhome after his retirement from a long career in law enforcement. He and his wife Tina live in Baneberry, TN part of the year and travel this great country in their Tiffin Phaeton 40IH, enjoying the excitement of exploring new places and meeting new people. Their motto is “If you can’t wear shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, we ain’t going!”
