Hershey’s Chocolate – The Swiss Connection
In 1894, a man by the name of Milton S. Hershey founded a company in the American state of Pennsylvania. Today, the Hershey Company is the biggest chocolate producer in North America – possibly even in the world – and is a household word, not only in the US and Canada, but in nearly 60 other countries worldwide.
Over the years, the Hershey product line has grown along with the company. But the original Hershey’s Chocolate Bar with its distinctive brown and silver wrapper, and the cone-shaped Hershey’s Kisses in their silver foil wrapping remain icons.
But the Hershey Chocolate Story actually begins in Switzerland, because it was Swiss Mennonite immigrants by the name of Hirschi, from the Emmental region of Bern, who left Switzerland and settled in eastern Pennsylvania, seeking religious freedom in the United States. The Mennonites are closely related to the Amish People of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, not far away from Hershey, Pennsylvania, the home of Hershey’s Chocolate.
The story of Milton S. Hershey is a fascinating one, and is the story of a self-made man with little education, who overcame initial hurdles on his way to founding the Hershey Company. But Milton Hershey was a compassionate man and a philanthropist, who established many social projects for his employees and the community, which are still active today. Hershey, Pennsylvania has even become a popular tourist destination with several major attractions.
Milton Hershey was scheduled to be on the Titanic. But he changed his plans in a quirk of fate that saved his life. And who knows, maybe even the company.
For the details of the Hershey Chocolate Story, and the story of Milton Hershey in particular, Bob Zanotti was joined on line by three guests who know it very well.
https://hersheystory.org/Hershey Starts Here
https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home.html
https://www.hersheypa.com/things-to-do/attractions/hersheys-chocolate-world.php
