Milton Hershey Mount Joy connection

I’m sure most people are familiar with Milton Hershey. If not the man himself, One would have to live under a rock to not know of his candy company Called Hershey.

He has connections to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. We discovered a plaque on a wall one evening while out for a walk saying that Milton S. Hershey operated a caramel factory from about 1892 to 1889. It was called The Lancaster Caramel Company. It didn’t start in Mount Joy. It moved here from Lancaster when he needed larger building. In 1892 the company had expanded enough to open a west branch in Chicago. According to Wikipedia he set up a third Factory in Reading.

He eventually sold that company after expanding it and at one point employing 1300 people. Hershey Chocolate Company was originally a subsidiary of the caramel company, but Miltion Hershey believed the caramels were fad, so he sold the assets of the caramel company and kept the Chocolate. That is what we know today.

The building is at the corner of South Jacob Street and East Donegal Street. in Mount Joy. It’s a brick factory that looks old but passing it buy it there would be no reason to think it was ever owned by someone as well known as Milton Hershey. I love these local historical tidbits.