his family, Milton Hershey knew his next effort was a do-or-die affair. Dubbing
his next endeavor the Lancaster Caramel Company, Hershey quickly realized the
success that had long eluded him. Combining his recently gleaned knowledge of
caramels with other tricks he had learned during his travels, Hershey devised a
recipe that soon had customers clamoring for more.
For Hershey, business boomed better than he could have ever anticipated. As revenue
continued to come in faster than caramels could be produced, Hershey continued to
expand Lancaster Caramel Company. Making an effort to stay on top of new trends and
technologies, Hershey attended the World’s Columbian Exhibition in 1893. At the fair,
Hershey came across fascinating machinery used to manufacture German chocolates.
Enamored with the machine and what he believed it could do for his business,
Hershey approached its owner, J. M. Lehman Company, with an offer to buy the
equipment. Lehman Company accepted.
Now armed with money, confidence, and
a reputation as an excellent candy-maker, Hershey made another step in his long
line of bold moves: He sold Lancaster Caramel Company. With the sale finalized
in 1900, Hershey set his sights on a 1,200-acre farmland property just north of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The site was near his hometown, but for Hershey, the
proximity was as much about convenience as sentimentality. Close to Derry
Church, Hershey had easy access to the fresh milk he needed to produce milk
chocolate, a swoon-worthy treat regarded as a Swiss luxury.
After several long and arduous experiments, Hershey concocted his very own milk chocolate
formula. With the recipe perfected, Hershey set about building a facility large
and efficient enough to mass-produce his product. In 1905, the completed factory
began manufacturing Hershey’s milk chocolate products, which became the first of
their kind in the nation.
Creating more than just a great chocolate
company, Hershey constructed an entire community around his company. Hershey’s
goal was to give his legion of employees all the comforts and amenities of any
other city, including public schools and transportation systems, homes,
tree-lined streets, and an expanse of creative, recreational, and cultural
activities. In 1906, Derry Church was renamed Hershey in honor of the eponymous
philanthropist, magnate, and hometown hero.