American Legion Post purchases former Dr. Martin L. Hershey home on Derry Road, formerly used as Hershey Indian Museum. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in December 1938.]
Death of George E. Copenhaver, first superintendent of Hershey Industrial School. Years of service 1909-1938. Born April 15, 1877.
D. Paul Witmer is appointed Superintendent of Hershey Industrial School. Serves until November 1, 1951.
Hershey Junior College opens in Community Building.
Krackel bar introduced. First bar includes crisped rice and almonds.
Hershey Bears play their first professional game after being formally admitted to the International-American Hockey League (now known as the American Hockey League or AHL) on June 29. The season-opener game takes place at Hershey Sports Arena against Providence.
Hershey Indian Museum moves to the remodeled Convention Hall/Ice Palace.
Biscrisp Bar introduced. Discontinued September 15, 1939.
Hershey Sports Stadium opens with its first season of Midget Auto Races. About 9,000 people attend the opening. Ticket prices are 45 and 75 cents for adults and 25 cents for children – all taxes included. The Stadium has a seating capacity of 16,000.
Hershey Stadium hosts its Dedication Football game. Game time is 8:30 p.m. and features the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Frankford Yellow Jackets. The Eagles won the game 28 to 6 in front of 5,000 fans.
Hershey Bakery and Experimental Candy Shop opens.
Hot Chocolate introduced.
Trolley service between Hershey and Elizabethtown permanently ends after 11:30pm.
Hershey Civic Club organized.
New Hershey Hospital opens. It is located on the fifth floor of the Community Building. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in September 1932.]
First session of the Hershey Evening School. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in September 1932.]
M.S. Hershey is awarded the "Order of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes" Medal for "his unstinting interest in the welfare of Cuba". It is the highest honor Cuba can confer on a foreigner. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1933.]
American Indian Museum opens in Dr. Martin L. Hershey’s home on Derry Road. Collection was purchased from Col. Worth. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1933.]
Hershey Men’s Club moves from the Cocoa House to the Community Building. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1933.]
Women’s Club (formerly Y.W.C.A.) moves to the Cocoa House. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1933.]
Mild and Mellow Bar introduced. Discontinued December 29, 1941.
Hershey Industrial School Alumni Association is established. The Alumni Association is formed by George Copenhaver at the request of Milton Hershey. Copenhaver selects Arthur Whiteman, Class of 1927 to be the first President of the Alumni Association. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1930.]
The Hotel Hershey is completed. Construction began October 1931. This building contains the following: Basement: Equipment rooms, Garage (100 cars), Kitchen & Linen Rooms, Barber Shop, Beauty Parlor, Servants’ quarters (22 rooms). First floor: Main lobby, Lounge, Offices, Grill & Card rooms, Main Dining Room. Remainder of 1st floor, 2nd, 3rd & 4th floors: 170 […]
First invitational Golf Tournament in Hershey (Hershey Open), with a $1500 purse. (Held September 1-2, 1933).
Hershey Community Theatre opens for its first performance. First performance includes “Pilgrimage” (movie), “The Fanchon and Marco Ideas” (N.Y. Stage Revue) Orchestra and Organlogue.
Community Building is dedicated. It is located on the site of former McKinley School/Hershey Central Theater.
Not-So-Sweet Bar introduced. Discontinued November 16, 1937 when replaced by Bitter-Sweet bar.
Hotel Hershey Golf Course opens.
Hotel Hershey Highlights begins publication. Discontinued June 17, 1950.
Aero Chocolate Bar introduced. Bar is manufactured under license of British confectionery firm, Rowntree’s. Discontinued May 15, 1939.
Hershey Industrial School Junior-Senior High School is dedicated. Constructed November 1932-September 1934.
Chocolate manufacturing machines purchased in 1893 are retired. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1935.]
M.S. Hershey presents each of the five churches in Hershey with a gift of $20,000. The five churches are: Derry Presbyterian, Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, First Evangelical United Brethren (today First United Methodist), Holy Trinity Lutheran, and St. Joan of Arc Catholic.
Hershey Department Store moves to Northwest corner of Chocolate Avenue and Park Drive to occupy the Hershey Press Building. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1920.]
The M.S. Hershey Junior-Senior High School is dedicated. It was built and donated by Milton S. Hershey.
Charter issued to the Hershey National Bank. It opens for business on May 1 in the Hershey Trust Company Building.
Mr. Goodbar introduced.
Forty head of pure-bred Holstein cattle are sent to Cuba. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1926.]
Cocoa Syrup for commercial use is introduced. Forerunner of Hershey’s Syrup (for home use, introduced April 15, 1928).
Cornerstone laid for the Fanny B. Hershey Memorial Building, a new elementary school for Hershey Industrial School boys. (Ground breaking held on April 1, 1926)
Last edition of the Hershey Press.
Hershey Chocolate Company reorganized as the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. Incorporated in the State of Delaware. Hershey Estates established to handle all "non-chocolate business". [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in October 1927.]
Dedication of Fanny B. Hershey Memorial Building, Grades K through 8.
Hershey Estates is incorporated. (William F.R. Murrie, President.) Its offices are located on the second floor of the Hershey Trust Company Building.
Hershey Volunteer Fire Company moves to new location on West Caracas Avenue. Land was donated by Milton Hershey.
Sprigs, chocolate chips for commerical use, introduced. (Forerunner of Hershey’s Chocolate Chips for home use, introduced in 1941 as Dainties.)
Hershey Volunteer Fire Company Fire Hall is dedicated.
Quikmix introduced.
First Evangelical United Brethren (now United Methodist) Church dedicates its new church building. Located on the corner of West Chocolate Avenue and Linden Road.
Hershey Estates Dairy opens. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in November 1929.]
M.S. Hershey organizes the Hershey Country Club and offers High Point mansion as the Club House. A golf course designed by noted golf course architect Maurice McCarthy is built surrounding the clubhouse. Mr. Hershey maintains a two-room apartment on the second floor.
First hockey game in the Convention Hall/Ice Palace.
First Hershey Industrial School Alumni banquet held in the Hershey Inn Walnut Room for those boys who had graduated from High School or completed their education and left school at age 18.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, located on Cocoa Avenue, is dedicated. The first worship service was held on July 19, 1914.
M.S. Hershey Consolidated School of Derry Township, located on first block of East Granada Avenue, is dedicated. Fifteen one-room schools are consolidated in new school.
Hershey Central Theater, located in the McKinley School Building, opens. Offers both movies and vaudeville performances. Seats 700
First Community Christmas Tree observation is held.
The trolley line from Hershey to Elizabethtown opens, providing passenger, freight, and express services. This connects the Hershey Transit Company’s trolley line to Lancaster via the Conestoga Traction Company’s lines.
Death of Catherine Hershey. She dies in the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. She is 43 years old.
Birth of Catherine Sweeney (wife of Milton Hershey). Died on March 25, 1915.
Introduction of Hershey’s Chewing Gum, “Easy Chew”, 6 sticks for 5 cents. Discontinued October 1, 1924.
Convention Hall is dedicated. The Hall has a seating capacity of 6,000; presents leading nationally known artists.
Information Bureau opens at McKinley Building (Central Theater). Bureau is open 6 days a week, provides information about the town and coordinates requests for factory tours.
Modern water treatment plant is constructed. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1916.]
Milton Hershey acquires land in Cuba and establishes Central Hershey.
Hershey Zoo formally opens. It is the largest free private zoo in America. A smaller zoological garden was opened to the public as early as 1910.
Factory begins using mechanical Kiss wrapping machine. Kisses are now wrapped with trademarked plume. Prior to this, Kisses were hand-wrapped, with an enclosed square of tissue.
The Tea House, on East Chocolate Avenue, opens.
Hershey Cuban Railway is completed. It connects Central Hershey with Havana to the west and Matanzas to the east.
Modern sewage disposal system is constructed. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1924.]
Hershey Hospital opens. It is located in the former Gingrich home on East Chocolate Avenue, next to Fanny Hershey’s home. The new hospital has 10 beds, an operating room and an x-ray room. This hospital replaces the Industrial School and factory infirmaries. Fanny Hershey’s home serves as a nurse’s residence.
Pennsylvania State Police Training School opens. It is located on Cocoa Avenue near the present location of Cocoa Plaza.
American Legion Women’s Auxiliary is organized.
First issue of Hershey Press. It is published until December 30, 1926. (First editor: C.S. Gee.)
Milton S. and Catherine Hershey sign the Deed of Trust to establish the Hershey Industrial School for orphan boys. The Trust is initially endowed with 486 acres of farmland.
Hershey Park Conservatory (greenhouse) opens. It is Hershey’s second conservatory. The first was the greenhouse by High Point Mansion. It is open to visitors year round.
Bell Telephone Exchange opens in Hershey. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in August 1910.]
Hershey Store Company (Hershey Department Store) opens for business on the Southwest corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues. Hershey Inn occupies the second floor. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in September 1910.]
The first four boys are enrolled at the Hershey Industrial School: Nelson A. Wagner, Irvin G. Wagner, Jacob A. Weber, and Guy G. Weber.
Hershey Cafe, located in the original Trolley Car Barn, opens serving Chocolate Company employees. Cafe opens to the general public in May 1911.
Factory floor space increased to 18 acres. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1911.]
Y.W.C.A. organizes. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in February 1911.]
Lebanon-Campbelltown Street Railway Company is incorporated to provide additional trolley service to the area.
Hershey Industrial School opens Kinderhaus, a kindergarten. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1912.]
Hershey Electric Company is incorporated.
New carrousel begins operating in Hershey Park. Built by William Dentzel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Carrousel has 52 animals and 2 chariots. The carrousel is relocated to a spot alongside Spring Creek.
Hershey Public Library begins under a joint committee of the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. The Library is located in the Reading Room of the Y.M.C.A. (the Cocoa House).
Y.W.C.A. moves into its new home (former Hershey Garage and Livery (or Stables) and future Parkview Apartments).
Hershey Water Company receives charter.
The Hershey Men’s Club replaces the Y.M.C.A. The Club becomes a self-governing organization in October, 1914 and is located in the Cocoa House.
The Derry Township School District Alumni Association holds first annual banquet.
Hershey Trust Company occupies new home on the Northwest corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues (9 West Chocolate Avenue).
Hershey Post Office moves into the Cocoa House and occupies rooms vacated by the Hershey Trust Company.
First telephone line is installed in Derry Church/Hershey. [Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in July 1903.]
Land is designated for future park [Hershey Park].
Surveys made for “Mansion” and adjacent area. Building contract for the “Mansion” signed July 13, 1905. Construction starts April 7, 1906.
The Hummelstown & Campbelltown Street Railway runs the first trolley between Hummelstown and Derry Church.
Hershey Park Dance Hall, forerunner of the Ballroom, opens.[Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1905.]
“Cocoa House” opens on the Northeast corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues (One Chocolate Avenue). The first floor houses Hershey Trust Company, Post Office and General Store. The second floor contains boarding rooms.
McKinley School is built on the Southeast corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues. (site of 14 East Chocolate Avenue). M.S. Hershey donates land and contributes $500 to the cost of construction.[Specific date is unknown. Event occurred in 1905.]