Milton Hershey A biography written by Mrs. Etchison

Milton Hershey’s Birth and Family Milton Hershey was born on September 13, 1857 on a farm in Derry, Pennsylvania. He only had one sister named Serina who sadly died from Scarlet fever when Milton was only nine years old. His parents were Fanny and Henry Hershey. His dad was constantly starting new jobs and was always looking for new ways to make money and make it fast! Because of this, his dad had had many different jobs and MIlton and his parents had to move around alot. When Milton was ten years old, his dad left the family and did not come back. His mother was left to raise him all by herself.

Milton Hershey’s Life SInce Milton and his family moved around so much, he did not get a good education. He did not go to school past the fourth grade because his mom thought he should quit school and learn a trade. He got a job working for a printing press, but did not like it. He got so bored working there that he would cause trouble on purpose and eventually got fired. Finally in 1872, his mom got him a job working for a candy maker. He worked at the Lancaster Candy Company for 4 years where he learned to make all types of candy such as caramels, fudge, and peppermints. After his apprenticeship, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to open up his very own candy shop but he could not figure out how to make enough money and his shop failed. He tried opening 2 more shops in Chicago and New York, but they failed also.

Milton Hershey’s Life (continued) In 1898 he married the love of his life, Catherine “Kitty” Sweeney. They did not have any children, so Kitty and Milton started a boarding school for orphan boys near their home in Pennsylvania. The school still exists today. Milton’s passion was still in the candy making business so he decided to give it another try. He built a caramel factory, and named his business “Milton Hershey’s Lancaster Caramel Company.” This shop was extremely successful. MIlton saw that a company in England was dipping caramels in chocolate before selling them. This gave him a great idea! In 1900, he sold his caramel factory for a million dollars (which is equivalent to 25 million dollars today!) and used that money to build a huge chocolate making factory! The factory opened in 1905 in his hometown of Derry, Pennsylvania and it was as big as 2 football fields. He hired hundreds of people to work for him and even built neighborhoods for them to live in! He also built a park, golf course, and a zoo for his workers and their families!

How Milton Hershey is connected to Pennsylvania Not only was Milton Hershey born in Pennsylvania, but he now has a town named after him! After he built the Hershey Chocolate Factory in 1905, the city’s name was changed from Derry Township, Pennsylvania to Hershey, Pennsylvania. The name of “Hershey” is now a household name. People travel from all over the world to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania

INteresting Facts In 1907, Hershey’s Kisses were introduced to Americans In 1912, Milton and his wife Kitty bought tickets to go on a fabulous trip on a new ship. But something came up and they had to change their plans. It’s a good thing In 1937, Milton made healthy chocolate bars for men and women in the United States Army to eat during the war. They were filled with extra vitamins and nutritious ingredients.