Harry Reese did not invent the peanut butter cup. But he did invent his own peanut butter cup which Hershey’s marketing machine later delivered to the public. In fact, more interesting than the cup itself was Harry Reese and the Hershey-Reese relationship which was…whatever. In 1916, Reese started out as a diary man for Milton Hershey. Before then, he moved from job-to- job, taking with him a growing family of 16 kids who would later show up in his advertisements. Reese farmed, managed a fishing operation for his father-in-law, and farmed again, until he became a dairy farmer for Hershey.

He apparently did pretty well, as he was promoted, but luck was still not on his side. In 1919, Hershey closed down the farm where Reese was working for financial reasons, and Reese went back to job-hopping. This time, one of his stops was owning a candy store. Finally, he landed back at Hershey, this time in the factory shipping room.

Working for Hershey evidently taught him something besides packing and milking cows. At home, in the privacy of his basement, Reese began making candy. He started with a variety of hard candies and chocolate-covered nuts and raisins until he made enough money to leave Hershey for good.

At long last, Reese was a success. The business did well, so well, in fact, that Reese rented the basement of a building on Chocolate Ave, the very site, it turns out, of the restaurant where I almost ate, with the chatty waitresses. In 1928, when assorted chocolates and truffles were all the rage, Reese came out with a selection of his own. The peanut butter cup was one of them.

Then, came the Depression, the weather too hot for Reese to make chocolate and money too tight for him to stop. So, Reese, like so many others through time, improvised. He made candy in the winter and transformed his business into a farm and canning operation in the summer. As the economy improved, so did Reese’s candy, especially his peanut butter cup. He began selling the cream-filled chocolate cup separately then, with the shortages in World War Two, cut back to just selling the peanut butter cups.

After the war, business picked up and Reese, the most flexible man in the candy universe, could rest easy. His business was an unequivocal success. After Reese died in 1956, his six sons took over the business, until the Hershey company bought it from them in 1963. The legendary peanut cup, with its offspring, Reese Pieces, has lived a long healthy life in Pennsylvania.

H.B. Reese Candy Company continued to enjoy success during the post war years. Company growth led to the need for more manufacturing space and in 1957 a new and modern manufacturing facility on West Chocolate Ave opened. Unfortunately, H.B. Reese did not live to see the factory completed. He died on May 16, 1956, and was succeeded by his six sons. (John M. Reese served as president of the firm; Robert H., treasurer; Ralph C., secretary; Edward I., vice-president; Harry B., Jr., traffic manager; C. Richard, sales manager.) In 1963, the company was sold to Hershey Chocolate Corporation.

Harry Reese started out as a diary man for Milton Hershey in 1916. Before then, he moved from job-to-job, taking with him a growing family of 16 kids who

would later show up in his advertisements. Reese farmed, managed a fishing operation for his father-in-law, and farmed again, until he became a dairy farmer for Hershey.

He apparently did pretty well, as he was promoted, but luck was still not on his side. In 1919, Hershey closed down the farm where Reese worked because of money, and Reese went back to job-hopping. This time, one of his stops was owning a candy store. Finally, he landed back at Hershey, this time in the factory shipping room.

Working for Hershey evidently taught him something besides packing and milking cows. At home, in the privacy of his basement, Reese began making candy. He started with a variety of hard candies and chocolate-covered nuts and raisins until he made enough money to leave Hershey for good.

At long last, Reese was a success. The business did well, so well, in fact, that Reese rented the basement of a building on Chocolate Ave, the very site, it turns out, of the restaurant where I almost ate, with the chatty waitresses. In 1928, when assorted chocolates and truffles were all the rage, Reese came out with a selection of his own. The peanut butter cup was one of them.

Then, came the Depression, the weather too hot for Reese to make chocolate and money too tight for him to stop. So, Reese did what Hannon and Baker did years before, he improvised. He made candy in the winter and transformed his business into a farm and canning operation in the summer. As the economy improved, so did Reese’s candy, especially his peanut butter cup. He begin selling the cream-filled chocolate cup separately then, with the shortages in World War Two, cut back to just selling the peanut butter cups.

After the war, business picked up and Reese, the most flexible man in the candy universe, could rest easy. His business was an unequivocal success. After Reese died in 1956, his six sons took over the business, until Hershey bought it from them in 1963. The legendary peanut cup, with its offspring, Reese Pieces, has lived a long healthy life in Pennsylvania.