DID YOU KNOW?
in the central part of the state, Hershey spent the early years of his childhood trailing his father, a dreamer who always had his eye out for the next big opportunity. But Henry Hershey lacked the perseverance and work ethic to stick anything out.
14, Hershey, who had dropped out of school the year before, expressed an interest in candy making and began apprenticing with a master confectioner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Four years later, Hershey borrowed $150 from his aunt and set up his own candy shop in the heart of Philadelphia. For five long years, Hershey poured his sweat and time into the business. But success eluded him!
Finally, he closed shop and headed west, reuniting with his father in Denver, where he found work with a confectioner. It was there that he discovered caramel and how fresh milk could be used to make it. But the entrepreneur in Hershey was not content to work for someone else, and he struck out on his own again, first in Chicago and later in New York City. In both cases, Hershey failed. In 1883, he returned to Lancaster and was still convinced he could build a successful candy company, so he started the Lancaster Caramel Company.
By 1867, Hershey's father had largely cut himself out of the family picture. The details around his parents' separation are cloudy, but it is largely believed that Fanny, the daughter of a Mennonite clergyman, had grown tired of her husband's failures.
With Hershey's upbringing left to her, the strict Fanny instilled in her son an appreciation for hard work. At the age of
Success soon followed. Within a few short years, Hershey had a thriving business and was shipping his caramels all over the country. At the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, Hershey got an up-close look at the art of chocolate making. He was immediately hooked. While his caramel business boomed, Hershey started the Hershey Chocolate Company.
His fascination quickly became focused on milk chocolate, considered a