Who Invented Penny Candy?

Penny candy was a product of innovation and industry. African American engineer Norbert Rillieux invented a revolutionary sugar evaporator, making sugar processing quick, clean, and relatively safe.

While trying to make glue, industrialist Peter Cooper invented instant gelatin, a key ingredient in many marshmallows and other sweets. And, in 1847, pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a pill cutter which he used to make NECCO Wafers, an early penny candy and parent to Conversation Hearts. In England, meanwhile, Quaker chocolatier Joseph Fry developed the first chocolate bar.

American candy production halted during the Civil War, then returned with a momentum fueled by marketing. Names were paramount to success, hence the success of the corn-like candy “Chicken Feed” later called “Candy Corn” (1880); “saltwater taffy,” a seaside delight with no salt in it (1880s); “Good & Plenty,” the first branded candy that said it all (1893); and British “Allsorts” (1899), with all sorts of licorice in one serving.

Chewing gum, with a tree resin base, was sold in the late 1880s. Selections included Adam’s “Black Jack” gum and “Beemans,” with a picture of the very handsome Dr. Beeman in the ads.

In the late 1800s, chocolate morphed from a gritty drink to a satiny delight, thanks to two Swiss chocolatiers. One, Rodolphe Lindt, invented a machine that made chocolate smooth and satiny. The other, Daniel Peters, invented milk chocolate with his neighbor, pharmacist Henri Nestle.

Americans joined in, such as H.O. Wilbur, maker of a chocolate “kiss,” and Milton Hershey, a marketing master. But from chocolate-covered nuts to enrobed caramels, Americans loved “French” chocolate best – even if it was made in the U.S.!

Best of all, the exclusive candies of the wealthy morphed into penny candies: fun, tasty, and cheap. Whether Tootsie Rolls or rock candy, they were glistening and ready to delight kids of all classes and backgrounds. And so they did!