Milton S. Hershey is a man who turned sweet dreams into a global legacy. Hershey was born in 1857 near Hershey according to Amy Zeigler, Senior Director of The Hershey Story Museum, Hershey Gardens, and Hershey Community Archives.

“He had two parents who were very different from each other, but he really seemed to get the best of both of them. So, his mother was a pretty strict Mennonite. She was very hard working, family focused. He went to school until he was 14, but she really wanted him to have an apprenticeship and learn a trade. His father was a dreamer. He changed jobs a lot. He always had big ideas to earn money and move the family around a lot, which was a bit unsettling.”

Hershey originally started making candy, years before he found success with milk chocolate. In 1876, he opened his own candy business in Philadelphia, however, his business would not last for long.

“He eventually went bankrupt. He traveled around the United States to different locations Chicago, Denver, New Orleans. And then he ended up in New York. And he started another candy business there. And he just couldn't sell enough to pay his bills. And he rented an extra kitchen space when he was in New York. And the rent kept going up and up and he just couldn't afford it. So, he had to declare bankruptcy a second time. And I think this is where his mother's sort of drive to never, never give in kicks in. He moved back to Lancaster, borrowed some money and started focusing on one type of candy, which was caramels, and started the Lancaster Caramel Company and got a huge order from a man in England. And that's kind of where things started to take off. So, he started that company in around 1886. By 1893 or 4, he had over 1300 people working for him.”

Listen to the podcast to hear more about the Milton S. Hershey story.

Milton S. Hershey is a man who turned sweet dreams into a global legacy. Hershey was born in 1857 near Hershey according to Amy Zeigler, Senior Director of The Hershey Story Museum, Hershey Gardens, and Hershey Community Archives.
&ldquo;He had two parents who were very different from each other, but he really seemed to get the best of both of them. So, his mother was a pretty strict Mennonite. She was very hard working, family focused. He went to school until he was 14, but she really wanted him to have an apprenticeship and learn a trade. His father was a dreamer. He changed jobs a lot. He always had big ideas to earn money and move the family around a lot, which was a bit unsettling.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home/about-us/milton-hershey.html">Hershey</a> originally started making candy, years before he found success with milk chocolate. In 1876, he opened his own candy business in Philadelphia, however, his business would not last for long.
&ldquo;He eventually went bankrupt. He traveled around the United States to different locations Chicago, Denver, New Orleans. And then he ended up in New York. And he started another candy business there. And he just couldn't sell enough to pay his bills. And he rented an extra kitchen space when he was in New York. And the rent kept going up and up and he just couldn't afford it. So, he had to declare bankruptcy a second time. And I think this is where his mother's sort of drive to never, never give in kicks in. He moved back to Lancaster, borrowed some money and started focusing on one type of candy, which was caramels, and started the Lancaster Caramel Company and got a huge order from a man in England. And that's kind of where things started to take off. So, he started that company in around 1886. By 1893 or 4, he had over 1300 people working for him.&rdquo;
Listen to the podcast to hear more about the Milton S. Hershey story.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

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