Waiting for a candy bar to fall out of the sky?
It actually happened in 1923, when parachute-clad Baby Ruth candy bars were dropped out of airplanes in a successful publicity stunt.
Far-fetched stories and local histories whetted the appetites of 20 audience members Wednesday night during the lecture “Sweet Home Chicago — and Evanston: A Look at the Candy Capital of America” at the Evanston Historical Society, 225 Greenwood St. Leslie Goddard, manager of programs and education, spoke about the candy history of Chicago and the numerous Evanston connections.
For instance, the Clark candy bar, well-known in the 1940s, was made in Evanston from 1954-1973.
Chicago has long been home to many candy factories, ranging from Farley’s to Mars. Goddard said shipping lanes allowed for easy distribution of candy in the 1800s as well as easy access to raw materials such as corn syrup, beet sugar and milk. The long Chicago winter also allowed more time during the year for candy-making, because hot summers sometimes halted production.
Many Chicago candy manufacturers came from immigrant backgrounds, Goddard said. Some European immigrants arrived with candy-making skills and found it easy to set up their own shops.
Researching the lecture took Goddard several months, but the topic made it especially difficult.
“It was a terrible thing to research because I would get all these cravings,” she said. “Whichever (candy bar) I researched, I would suddenly get a craving for that one.”
The night also included a showing of an old Milk Duds commercial that featured Evanston resident Tasha Ransom, who was 3 years old at the time. Ransom tap-danced in a yellow costume and black shoes in the commercial.
“I had a lot of fun with the with the wig and costume,” said Ransom, now 30. “I can’t believe I really did that. Listening to the history of chocolate makes me feel like I was part of history.”
She still owns the costume.
The sweet talk came just in time for Valentine’s Day. While many will undoubtedly reach for the candy sometime this weekend — Valentine’s Day is the fourth-biggest holiday for candy sales, Goddard said — others advise moderation.
“I think the key point for consumers is to get the mini-size chocolate and the mini-size candies,” said Eileen Vincent, an assistant director of clinical nutrition research at Feinberg School of Medicine. “Enjoy a small amount of your favorite candy and don’t go overboard.”
After the presentation, Evanston resident Janet Messenger said she enjoyed the lecture, calling it a “sweet story.”
And the best part?
“The free candies,” she said, gesturing toward the table of samples.
