BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Love it or hate it, candy corn has stood the test of time. And its sugary path can be traced back to Belleville, Illinois.
Gustav Goelitz started the Goelitz Confectionary Company in the Metro East back in 1869. One of their top-selling sweets around the turn of the century was a ‘butter sweet’ mellow cream called Candy Corn.
‘Something worth crowing for’ was the tagline on the advertisements and store displays, along with the picture of a rooster.
In 1986, the Goelitz family moved the business out to Fairfield, California. In 2001, the company known by the family name for four generations was renamed after one of its most popular candies. (No, not candy corn…) The Goelitz Confectionary Company was renamed Jelly Belly Candy Company.
But the Goelitz family doesn’t get the credit for inventing candy corn.
That credit—or blame?—goes to an employee at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Pennsylvania named George Renninger. He invented candy corn and the company marketed it as…
Chicken feed.
Chicken feed? Yup.
According to National Geographic, about half of America's labor force was made up of farmers when the candy debuted, so there was an obvious tie-in.
While the Wunderlee Candy Company invented candy corn, the Goelitz family gets the credit for popularizing it.
“[Renninger] lost out big. It was a marketing twist. It’s all in the branding,” St. Louis food historian Suzanne Corbett explained on the Abby Eats St. Louis podcast.
Hear more about candy corn, other sweets with ties to St. Louis and a look at how candy has evolved over the years on the Abby Eats St. Louis podcast episode called 'Treat me in St. Louis.'
More from Abby Eats St. Louis
- Famous-Barr's French onion soup is being served again in St. Louis
- You'll soon be able to sip on Missouri Bourbon Whiskey
- From priesthood to peddling hot sauce: Meet the man behind Hot Charlie's
- Red Hot Riplets: 'The best hot chip in the world'
- Spirits of St. Louis: Craft cocktail business bubbling up in the Lou
- ‘Cornucopia of awesomeness’: First-of-its-kind food fusion opens in St. Louis County
About Abby Eats St. Louis
Abby Llorico tells the story of St. Louis based on what’s on the table. From the hunger for local ingredients, to the booming brunch scene and the craving for creative cocktails, Abby dives into the nitty-gritty of how St. Louis grew to become the foodie town that it is.
Abby Eats St. Louis is available for free on all podcast apps. Take a listen to our latest episodes in the audio player toward the top of this story. We’ve also included links to some of the most popular podcast platforms below.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | Castbox
Make sure to subscribe to get the latest episode as soon as it drops.
Take a listen and let us know what you think! Have a topic idea or just want to send us your thoughts or comments? Email us at podcasts@ksdk.com.
And make sure to follow the Abby Eats St. Louis podcast on Instagram for more photos, videos and food inspiration.
