Empire Spice Mills MFG Co., est. 1936

Museum Artifact: Burma Brand Spices: Pure Ground Cinnamon Tin, c. 1940s

Made By: Empire Spice Mills Manufacturing Company, 917 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL

Chicago’s Empire Spice Mills Manufacturing Company (no relation to the current Empire Spice Mills of Winnipeg, Canada) was a peculiar little enterprise that only existed for a little over a decade, from the late 1930s to a few years beyond the Second World War.

Morton Salt Company, est. 1848

Museum Artifacts: Morton’s Free Running Salt and Sausage Seasoning (1930s) + Morton Salt Cardboard Store Display and Advertising Blotters (1950s)

Made By: Morton Salt Company, 1357 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL

“Out of every 10 pounds of salt produced in this country, 9 you never see!  . . . Of the salt you do see—table and household salt—only a little more than a billion pounds are consumed each year.

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,

W. F. McLaughlin & Co., est. 1852

Museum Artifact: McLaughlin’s Imperial Mocha & Java Coffee Tin, c. 1900s, + 19 McLaughlin XXXX Coffee Trade Cards, 1890s

Made By: W. F. McLaughlin & Co., State Street and South Water Street., Chicago, IL

“Tastes Good—Always. You get the extra good quality in this coffee because it is imported direct and sold direct to retail dealers by W. F. McLaughlin & Co., the largest exclusive coffee roasters in the world.”

Kelling-Karel Co. / Kelling Nut Co., est. 1906

Museum Artifact: Squirrel Nut Cracker, 1910s

Made By: Kelling-Karel Company / Double Kay / Kelling Nut Co., 217 W. Huron St., Chicago, IL

“The ‘Squirrel’ Nut Cracker is suitable for all kinds of table nuts, and is so designed that it cracks the shell but not the kernel. It is adjustable for different sizes of nuts—pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.. Are all easily cracked with it.

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,

Citrus Products Co., est. 1919

Museum Artifact: Kist Beverages Soda Bottle, c. 1940s

Made By: Citrus Products Co., 11 E. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL

Most Notable Factoid: In 1933, the vice president of Citrus Products fired a gun at his own wife (and missed) after he saw her kissing the president of the company at a party.

Best known for its “Kist” brand of carbonated beverages,

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,

J. W. Allen & Co., est. 1881

Museum Artifact: J. W. A. Ground Cinnamon Special – 5 LB Container (1930s) and Metal Baking Supply Pail (1940s)

Made By: J. W. Allen & Co., 110 N. Peoria St., Chicago, IL

“Our building in Chicago has come to be known as the acknowledged ‘Bakers’ Headquarters.’ We carry in stock and ready for immediate delivery practically everything required for the Baking Industry.

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,

John B. Canepa Company, est. 1860

Museum Artifact: “Red Cross” Spaghetti Box, c. 1920s

Made By: The John B. Canepa Company, 302-310 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL

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

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.

Green River Corporation, est. 1919

Museum Artifact: Green River Soda Carton with 6 Bottles, c. 1950s

Made By: Green River Corporation, 4554 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL

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

Calumet Baking Powder Company, est. 1889

Museum Artifact: Calumet Baking Powder Tin, c. 1913

Made By: Calumet Baking Powder Co., 4100 W Fillmore St., Chicago, IL

This five-pound canister of Calumet Baking Powder might seem like a cute artifact from a old-timey diner or a small town general store, but make no mistake, you’re looking at a relic from a war . . . the Baking Powder War.

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.

Dad’s Root Beer Co., est. 1937

Museum Artifact: Unopened Dad’s Root Beer “Mama” Bottle, 1960s

Made By: Dad’s Root Beer Co., 2800 N. Talman Avenue, Chicago, IL

“It’s a completely new idea! Genuine draft root beer in bottles!”

When Dad’s Root Beer creators Ely Klapman and Barney Berns rolled out their first big national ad campaign in 1941, they did so with an immediate contradiction in terms—a “completely new” thing was also promoted as the “old fashioned” root beer.

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.

Filbert’s Root Beer & Bottling Co., est. 1926

Museum Artifact: Filbert’s Old Time Root Beer Bottles, c. 1965-1975

Made By: Filbert’s Root Beer & Bottling Co., 3033 S. Archer Ave., 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.

Quaker Oats Company, est. 1877

Museum Artifact: Cardboard cans of Quick Mother’s Oats, Quaker Rolled White Oats, and Quaker Best Yellow Corn Meal, c. 1920s

Made By: The Quaker Oats Company, 80 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL

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

Wander Company (US), est. 1917

Museum Artifact: Ovaltine “Food Beverage” Tin, 1921

Made By: The Wander Company, 37 S. Wabash Ave. (HQ), Factory at 1 Ovaltine Court, Villa Park

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