Oh Henry! and the Williamson Candy Co., est. 1917

Museum Artifact: Oh Henry! Candy Bar Box, c. 1950s

Made By: Williamson Candy Company, 4701 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL

Introduced by the Williamson Candy Co. in 1920, the Oh Henry! was the first of Chicago’s holy trinity of chocolate/peanut/caramel candy bars, pre-dating the Baby Ruth (Curtiss Candy Co.) by a year* and Snickers (Mars, Inc.) by a decade.

E. J. Brach & Sons, est. 1904

Museum Artifact: Brach’s “Chocolates of Quality” Box, c. 1920s

Made By: E.J. Brach & Sons, 4656 W. Kinzie Street, Chicago, IL

“When my sons and I opened a little candy store forty years ago, we hoped folks would like our candy. But we never dreamed they’d like Brach candies so well we’d outgrow our little ‘Palace of Sweets’ in just a few brief years.

Mars Inc., est. 1911

Museum Artifact: Three Musketeers, Milky Way, Snickers, and Mars Toasted Almond Bar Display Boxes, 1930s-1950s

Made By: Mars Incorporated, 2019 N. Oak Park Ave, Chicago, IL

“The finest quality ingredients blended by the most skillful workers in the most modern institution of its kind.” – Mars Bar display box, 1930s

Still consistently ranked among the top ten largest privately owned companies,

Shotwell MFG Co., est. 1903

Museum Artifact: Shotwell’s “Car-Load” and “Miniature Chocolates” boxes + Shotwell’s “Popcorn Brittle” & “3-to-1” Wax Candy Wrappers, 1920s

Made By: Shotwell MFG Co., 3501 W. Potomac Ave., Chicago, IL

The Shotwell Manufacturing Company is one of Chicago’s forgotten confectionery giants; a former popcorn, candy bar, and marshmallow maker that operated from 1903 to 1952. The firm was notably opportunistic in its business practices—sometimes a tad shady even—and it wouldn’t achieve the longevity or cultural relevance of local rivals like Cracker Jack,

Zeno MFG Co., est. 1890

Museum Artifact: Zeno Chewing Gum Coin-Op Vending Machine, 1908

Made By: Zeno MFG Co., 150-160 W. Van Buren St., Chicago, IL

It’s been more than 100 years since someone first dropped a penny into this porcelain-enameled steel vending machine, jonesing for a fresh stick of “elegant” Zeno chewing gum. By no coincidence, most awareness of the Zeno Manufacturing Company itself has long since been spat from the public consciousness and trampled over by time,

C. Cretors & Co., est. 1885

Museum Artifacts: Cretors Popcorn Wagon Steam Engine, 1908, and Pop Corn Carton, 1920s

Made By: C. Cretors & Company, 600 W. Cermak Road, Chicago, IL

“Cretors’ Pop Corn is the most pleasing of any in the world. No other novelty gives such a degree of enjoyment and satisfaction for the money. Relished by all, young or old—rich and poor alike, during all seasons of the year—it wins instant success everywhere,

Schutter Candy Co., est. 1914

Museum Artifact: Bit-O-Honey Candy Display Box, c. 1940s

Made by: Schutter Candy Company (Schutter-Johnson Candy Co.), 1013 N. Cicero Ave.

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

American Licorice Co., est. 1914

Museum Artifact: Candy Cigarettes – Penny Package Wrapper, c. 1920s

Made By: American Licorice Company, 2321 N. Keystone Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Wood Candy Co., est. 1908

Museum Artifact: Wood Candies 3LB Tin, 1920s

Made By: Wood Candy Co., 930 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Leaf Gum Company, est. 1940

Museum Artifact: Leaf Spearmint Chewing Gum Stick, c. 1948

Made By: Leaf Gum Company, 1155 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

DeMet’s Inc., est. 1898

Museum Artifact: Turtles Candy Tin, c. 1960s

Made By: DeMet’s, Inc., 177 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Mrs. Snyder’s Candies, est. 1909

Museum Artifact: Mrs. Snyder’s Candy Tin, c. 1930s

Made By: Mrs. Snyder’s Home Made Candies, 1813 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

The Cracker Jack Co., est. 1871

Museum Artifact: Cracker Jack Cocoanut Corn Crisp Tin, c. 1930

Made By: The Cracker Jack Company, 4800 W. 66th Street, Chicago, IL

“You can eat as much as you like!” That’s how the Cracker Jack Company marketed its new Cocoanut Corn Crisp to America in 1928, assuring all snackers that these “luscious lumps of goodness” were “healthful, pure, and wholesome.” Not being a doctor or nutritionist,

Bunte Brothers, est. 1876

Museum Artifacts: Bunte “Fine Confections, “Diana,” “Stuft” and “World Famous Candies” Tins by Bunte Brothers, 1910s-1930s

Made By: Bunte Brothers Candy, 3301 W. Franklin Blvd., Chicago, IL

Which industry best exemplified the spirit of Chicago at its manufacturing zenith? The steel mills? The Union Stock Yards? The railroads? Architecture?

Nope. It was definitely candy—sweet, delectable, teeth-rotting candy.

For the thousands of Chicago factory workers employed in the confectionery trade,

Marshall Field’s Frango Mints, 1929-1999

Museum Artifact: Marshall Field’s Frango Mints Box, c. 1950s

Made By: Marshall Field & Co., 111 N. State Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Fannie May Candy Co., est. 1920

Museum Artifact: Fannie May “Kitchen Fresh Candies” box, c. 1950s

Made By: Fannie May Candy Co., 1137 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Ferrara Pan Candy Co., est. 1908

Museum Artifact: Ferrara’s Boston Baked Beans box, c. 1940s

Made By: Ferrara Candy Co., 2200 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

M. J. Holloway & Co., est. 1920

Museum Artifact: Holloway’s Milk Duds, 5-cent box, c. 1940s

Made By: M. J. Holloway & Co., 308 W. Ontario St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Steven’s Candy Kitchens, est. 1921

Museum Artifact: Mrs. Steven’s Candies Tin, c. 1930s

Made By: Steven Candy Kitchens, Inc., 481 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Andes Candies, est. 1921

Museum Artifact: Andes Candies Tin, c. 1960s

Made By: Andes Candies, Inc., 4430 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Albert Dickinson Co., est. 1888

Museum Artifact: Little Buster Hulless Popcorn, c. 1920s

Made by: Albert Dickinson Company, 2750 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Curtiss Candy Co., est. 1916

Museum Artifact: Baby Ruth Display Box, c. 1950s

Made By: Curtiss Candy Company, 337 E. Illinois St., Chicago, IL

“There was never a crack in the integrity of Otto Schnering.”

In 1953—right around the same time the vintage Baby Ruth display box in our collection was made—radio host and author Henry J. Taylor went on the air and delivered a stirring speech / eulogy for the man they used to call the “Candy Bar King.” Taylor was a former business associate and longtime friend of Otto Schnering,

Flavour Candy Company, est. 1925

Museum Artifact: The Original Flavour Chicken Bones (Tin), 1927

Made By: Flavour Candy Co., 3922 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.