1886 Milton Hershey started the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1886 after he returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania following the failure of his New York City candy business. The Lancaster business would be his third confectionery venture.

The sale of the Lancaster Caramel Company was finally completed on August 10, 1900. Milton Hershey surrendered the factory, the machinery, the stock in hand, his formulas, and the “Crystal A” trademark. He also agreed not to make caramels in Lancaster.

The immediate success of his chocolate company convinced Hershey to sell his caramel company and to focus on making chocolate. The sale of the Lancaster Caramel Company for $1,000,000 in 1900 provided Hershey with the necessary capital to pursue the manufacture of chocolate in a new factory in a new town.

1894: Lancaster Caramel Company Milton Hershey incorporates the Lancaster Caramel Company and establishes Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary.

1918 1918 – The first Caramel Creams® candy is produced and hits the market. 1928 – Due to steady growth, The Baltimore Chewing Gum Company builds a new facility on Monument Street, where Goetze's Candy resides today.

1,000 AD Some accounts suggest that the most basic form of caramel was first made by the Arabic nation in the year 1,000 AD by the mixing of sugar and water to form a crystallized, hardened form of the candy. They first referred to it as a loving term that translates to some version of “ball of sweet.”

$1 million Hershey sold the Lancaster Caramel Co. for $1 million in 1900 in order to concentrate exclusively on his chocolate business. Three years later, he returned to Derry Church to build a new factory. There he could obtain the large supplies of fresh milk needed to perfect and produce fine milk chocolate.

After a decade and three failed candy companies, twenty-nine-year-old Hershey finally succeeded, creating one of America's most successful caramel companies. At forty-two, the king of caramel surprised the industry when he sold his Lancaster Caramel Company to a rival for $1 million ($31 million in 2019 dollars).

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups It's also the top-selling candy brand in the United States. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is a popular candy bar that features a sweet and creamy peanut butter filling encased in a smooth milk chocolate shell. It is loved by many for its delicious combination of flavors and unique texture.

$1 million Hershey sold the Lancaster Caramel Co. for $1 million in 1900 in order to concentrate exclusively on his chocolate business. Three years later, he returned to Derry Church to build a new factory.

It's thought the most basic form of caramel was first made by the Arabs around 1,000 AD by mixing sugar and water to form a crystallised liquid, that they used initially in the beauty industry, (think waxing and sugaring) and later becoming a confection which they first called simply a “ball of sweet.”

Ruth Tharpe Hunt of Ruth Hunt Candies operated a small store out of her home in Mt. Sterling, KY, which she eventually outgrew and opened a factory to produce the treats, which are still sold today. Similarly, Rebecca-Ruth Candy was started by two friends and schoolteachers, Ruth Hanly and Rebecca Gooch.