Hershey Page
From the Booklet The Man behind the Chocolate Bar. An Introduction to Milton S. Hershey.
In Part-- His father, Henry Hershey, was an inquistive man who loved to read books. He was never successful at making a living, however, and moved his family several times during Milton's childhood as he tried running a fruit farm and nursery and other things. Milton's mother,( Fannie Snavely) who was a strongminded and exceedingly frugal, was frustrated and disappointed by her husband's failures. As a result the two drifted apart and Henry Hershey spent long periods away from home, trying his luck in New York and even Colorado. Both Hershey and Snavely families were originally Mennonite.Though Milton's mother was a staunch member of the reformed Mennonite Church and wore plain clothes and a bonnet thriughout her life, formal religion was never a part of Milton Hershey's life. When he was asked once what was his religion was, he is said to have replied." The Golden Rule."
text skipped ----- next page At first
it seemed that milton Hershey had no more talent for business than his
father. he failed at numerous ventures before he finally succeeded at making
Carmel candy. By then he was almost forty years old. Milton first went
to work as an apprentice to the editor of a small, german-language newspaper
in Lancaster. He was clumsy, though, and hated the work. Soon he got himself
fired by dropping his straw hat into the printing press. Next his mother
( Fannie Snavely) found him an apprenticeship with Joe Royer, a
candy and Ice Cream maker in Lancaster. It was here that he learned the
basics of candymaking.
from the Royer Family in America book pg. 97:
VI. JOSEPH ROYER, p. 96, was married Oct. 12, 1854, to Annie Shuman, who was born Feb. 7, 1833; and died Sept. 23, 1881. To this union were born three sons and one daughter. June 7, 1893, he married Viola Smaling. They live at 144 College Ave., Lan- caster, Pa. Joseph was a confectioner in Lancaster; he it was who taught Milton Hershey, the chocolate king, the trade of candy making. He is also said to have been the first merchant in Lancaster to have a glass front in his store, and also the first to use a delivery wagon.
Somehow I don't think a Royer Bar would
have been as successful. Rick
Go to the Hershey Candy
page. Milton hershey 1872