MILTON HERSHEY

"KISS AND TELL"

1907: Milton Hershey creates the first kiss.
1924: He trademarks the "plume" that extends from the wrapper.
1942-'49: No Kisses were sold during World War II because of the silver foil rationing.

Hershey had chocolate bars included in the wars rations.  This introduced his chocolate not only to Americans but in Europe as well.

1986: Red and silver foil-wrapped Kisses are introduced in honor of Valentine's Day.

With two failed candy businesses behind him, he was an unlikely candidate for success. Yet Mr. Hershey turned his story from rags to riches by persevering, eventually selling his caramel company for $1,000,000 and devoting himself completely to chocolate making.

Milton built a dairy farm so there was plenty of fresh milk available to use in the candy making process.

Using equipment purchased at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Milton Hershey began experimenting with boiled milk, sugar and cacao beans in an effort to create affordable milk chocolate that could be mass-produced. In a few years, he perfected his recipe and by 1903 was breaking ground for a new factory in the town that bears his name.

HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA

In 1903,Milton Hershey built a huge chocolate factory and an entire town to go with it. The town of Hershey, Pennsylvania had a streetcar line, schools, library, sports arena, community center and a special school for needy children.

Today, the town of Hershey is still the home of the factory that Milton Hershey built. And if you ever visit, you can smell delicious chocolate smells just by driving through the town

When he and his beloved wife, Catherine, realized they could not have children, they founded a school for orphaned boys. His dream had grown far beyond acquiring wealth for his own benefit: “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy.” In 1918, long before his death, Milton Hershey endowed the school that he and Catherine started with his entire fortune.

Over 80 million Hershey's Kisses are made each day. They are made by a machine that releases an exact amount of chocolate onto a moving conveyor belt, and then sent to a machine that wraps up to 1,300 Kisses a minute.

Sweet!