Milton S. Hershey

Milton S. Hershey

Milton Hershey was born September, 13, 1857 on homestead farm. He was raised by his mother, Fanny Hershey, for most of his life. Once his mother had a chance Milton’s father, Henry Hershey, took care of him for a while. Henry was a dreamer or visionary. Fanny was a Mennonite, she did not believe in taking pictures. Milton also had a sister Serena Hershey she died very young due to a disease that affected many children.

Milton only went through 3rd and 4th grade, he wasn’t very school-smart. He went to Derry church school because as some of you may know Hershey was called Derry Church Township before it was Hershey. When Milton moved in with his father he was put in school for printing or an iron worker. He did not succeed. So he moved back with his mother. She put him in the candy industry but all he did was park and give water to horses. That did not help him much.

Milton Hershey then needed a wife so he married Catherine Sweeney, or Kitty, on May 25th 1898. They moved to Lancaster to work in the caramel company but later he had to sell it for one million dollars. Then he went and bought back homestead and built his own chocolate factory behind it. He needed milk so that’s why he built it at the homestead because there were many cows. Milton’s chocolate factory was a success.

Milton and Catherine were lonely but they couldn’t have kids, so they started Hershey Industrial School in 1909, which is now called Milton Hershey school or MHS. It was a school for white or Caucasian fatherless boys. Then it later accepted girls and people of color. Now Milton Hershey School provides homes and food and more importantly a FAMILY.