Milton S. Hershey

Born on September 13, 1857 in Derry Church Pennsylvania, Milton Hershey attended school only until the forth grade. A few years later, Milton’s father, Henry Hershey, made Milton go to work as a printer’s apprentice in Gap Pennsylvania. By the age of 18, Milton opened a candy shop in Philadelphia. After 6 years, his candy shop failed, so Milton decided it was time to move on into Denver, Colorado, where he worked at a local caramel manufacture. Milton learned that fresh milk was better to use in caramel because it made the caramel thicker, which created better results.

Later he moved to 3 different places hoping to establish a business in each of the city. First, Chicago, than New Orleans, and finally New York City. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1886, and finally had his first successful candy business. It was called the Lancaster Caramel Company. He became fascinated with German chocolate making, and soon started to make and sell chocolate covered caramel.

In 1894, the Hershey Chocolate Company was born. In addition to the chocolate coatings they made, they also made breakfast cocoa, sweet chocolate, and baking chocolate. In 1900, Milton Hershey sold the Lancaster Caramel Company for $1 million. Milton decided that his chocolate company would be located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dairy Country, where there are large amounts of fresh milk that were needed to make the fine milk chocolate. In 1900, the first “Hershey Bar” was made and sold. That was the start of the American tradition. The “Hershey Bar” made chocolate from an expensive luxury and made it into an everyday treat.

Milton Hershey who died in 1945 at the age of 88, was an extraordinary man, both a dreamer and a builder, and started a generation of some of the most delicious and famous chocolate that man has ever tasted. The most amazing thing to me is that he only went to school until fourth grade, but was still able to be so successful. Also, no matter how many times he failed, Milton Hershey never gave up on his dream; to own a great successful candy company. That's what makes Milton Hershey such an amazing person to me.