Milton Hershey, the man behind the chocolate

Milton Hershey was raised in the Mennonite faith and had only a 4th grade education. He completed a four year apprentice with a Lancaster candy maker and started his first candy making business in Philadelphia. His first efforts failed as did subsequent attempts in Chicago and New York. In 1883 he returned to Lancaster and established his first successful company, the Lancaster Caramel Company.  At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition he became fascinated with German chocolate-making machinery and returned to Lancaster to purchase this equipment for his company. Soon afterwards he began producing several varieties of chocolate and later sold the caramel company to focus solely on the development of his chocolate factory which became the world’s largest!

During the Great Depression when most of the world was conserving resources, Milton Hershey announced his plans for a $2 million hotel construction project. A long-time dream of he and his wife, Kitty, who died in 1915, The Hotel Hershey would be modeled after a Mediterranean hotel they enjoyed. The project provided employment to more than 600 steelworkers, masons, carpenters and other craftsmen and laborers during a time when jobs were scarce. This is just one example of the vision of Milton Hershey and his commitment to his community.

During our visit to Hershey, we rode the Hershey Trolley Works through the community. The conductor entertained us and other visitors with the sights and oh so chocolaty smells of Hershey. Sights included the birthplace of Mr. Hershey, the homes he built for his executives and the Milton Hershey School. This unique school was founded in 1909 by Mr. Hershey and his wife upon learning they could not have children of their own. Originally established to provide education for orphaned boys, today the school has approximately 1,700 students comprised of boys and girls from under-privileged homes.   Many former students have returned to Hershey later in life to become executives with the various Hershey corporation. Since his death in 1945 at age 88, Milton Hershey’s legacy has thrived . The school and the Hershey philanthropy are maintained through the holdings of the Milton Hershey School Trust which derives much of its support from the profits of The Hershey Company and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. 

Milton Hershey is best known for his candies, but his legacy reaches far beyond the chocolate. When you start to feel guilty about eating a chocolate bar, just remember where the proceeds are going. That should ease the guilt…well, that and the removal of the scale!