New Machinery for the Factory Installed

Posted September 17, 2009

The Hershey Press issue dated September 17, 1909 carried a variety of articles about the community and Chocolate factory as well as printing ads from Hershey owned and independent businesses.

A favorite column was titled: Hershey Briefs: Items About You, Your Neighbors and Things in General. Illnesses, individual’s trips to Harrisburg and Lancaster, comments about people who dropped in to visit the Press office, parties, practical jokes, bowling competitions and related events were appropriate for this column. It reminds one of today’s Facebook postings: the information in the column varied in significance and interest.

The Hershey Press is also a great resource for documenting the growth and development of the community. On the front page of this issue, the Press carried an article about the installation of a new pastor at Derry Presbyterian Church, one about the contents of a large freight train delivering materials to Hershey and an article noting the completion of a new addition to the Hershey Chocolate Factory for the Longitudinal department. The article is particularly helpful because it enabled the Archives to date this photograph of the new department.

The article and photograph also bring to life architectural plans in the Archives collections for a new addition to the factory on a 1909 insurance map. The plan [87FP01.1] notes that the new building held “about 30 Grinders for finishing chocolate” operated by “220 volt motors.”