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ounded in 1921, Wolfgang Candy is one of the oldest family-owned and managed candy companies in the United States. Four generations of Wolfgangs have added their expertise to manufacturing millions of pounds of seasonal candies for schools, clubs, churches, associations, and other groups.
A Brief History of Wolfgang Candy Company
York, PA
By William L. Schmid
Candy making became a tradition for a family with the surname of Wolfgang in York County, Pennsylvania as early as the last decade of the nineteenth century. The Jonas Wolfgang family moved from Manheim Township in southern Pennsylvania to Mayerstown (later named North York) in 1893. Two brothers, Abtil and Clinton Wolfgang, elder brothers of Delphi Eli Wolfgang, learned this special art by working at Lafeans Candy Co. in York. They soon opened their own Wolfgang Candy Factory in North York. This venture ended, however, with a disastrous fire in 1899 that destroyed the building and the business. Clinton and his wife, Maggie, later started a Wolfgang Candy Factory on Water Street in York and specialized in hard candy and clear toys. They occasionally depended on the two younger brothers, Delphi and Millard when they needed extra help.
Delphi and his wife Mima Mae had five children, Louise, Paul, Robert, Glenn and Ruby. Their eldest son, Paul C. Wolfgang, following in the footsteps of his uncles, learned the art of candy making. This venture evolved into the formation of the D. E. Wolfgang Candy Co. with his father in 1921. Paul, his brother Robert, his sister Louise, along with Uncle Abtil�s guidance began to produce Wolfgang�s hand dipped chocolates. The younger siblings, Glenn and Ruby started to sell Wolfgang�s confections at local football games and special community functions when they were only 10 and 9 years of age, respectively. The company�s first significant customers were the North York High School and a Sunday School Class of the Fifth United Brethren Church in North York, two organizations who re-sold Wolfgang Candy to raise funds.
The company readily expanded into the retail arena, marketing its delicious confections at local farmers� markets in York, Hanover, Harrisburg, Columbia, and Lancaster, PA, various community fairs, including the York Interstate Fair and the Bloomsburg Fair. The company�s growing retail and wholesale (fund-raising) initiatives provided employment for many of the grandchildren and later great grandchildren of Delphi and Mima Mae. Today the York area farmers� markets, along with the company�s candy shop in Wolfgang�s Das Sweeten Haus Center and many fairs throughout the region are retail outlets where consumers can sample the delights of Wolfgang�s premium chocolates. The majority of the company�s business continues to be through fund raising initiatives by churches, schools, day care centers, sports organizations and charitable entities. The company also contracts with other distributors and manufacturers throughout the United States to produce chocolate and non-chocolate confections for these third party entities.
Wolfgangs was later incorporated with the stockholders being the five children of Delphi and Mima Mae in 1968 and again re-incorporated in 1979 with inclusion of four grandchildren.
What began in the cellar of the family home on Latimer Street in North York grew, step-by-step, building addition after building addition, until today. The business now occupies three buildings in North York, Pennsylvania for manufacturing and distribution of Wolfgang�s candy products.
Marketing of the products grew from Paul�s pony cart, Robert�s basket, Glenn and Ruby�s red wagon in North York to distribution throughout the United States. The pony cart has given way to direct-mail/e-mail promotion and e-commerce, as consumers can purchase Wolfgang Candy direct through the company�s web site: www.wolfgangcandy.com.
Early on, participants in this family business also included Mima Mae�s brother Cleve Innerst, his son Amos, and members of Cleve�s painting company (they painted in the Summer and made candy in the Winter), along with many of the grandchildren of Delphi and Mima Mae. |
