Peter Kurie, a Princeton-trained anthropologist has written a book about the Hershey Company and its history, writes Michael Lindgren Torres for The Washington Post.

In the book titled ‘In Chocolate We Trust: The Hershey Company Town Unwrapped’ Kurie takes a look at the company, community and its history.

He writes about how Hershey founded the company on the simple idea that chocolate could be made cheaply, and sold widely rather than simply being a treat for the rich.

Hershey then founded the town of Hershey and provided a school for the education of orphans.

The town itself had the unusual feel of being ‘white picket fence’ America and a place owned by a rather unusual but generous patriarch.

In fact people in the town still refer to ‘Mr. Hershey’ or ‘Milt’ even though he passed away in 1945.

Along the journey through the growth of the Hershey empire, Kuris includes recollections from people in the town.

He also paints the picture of a company caught between eras and tries to portray Hershey as a forerunner to modern philanthropist billionaires such as Bill Gates.

For example his development of the Hershey School which prioritizes in-need children in Dauphin County.

Read more about In Chocolate We Trust at The Washington Post here.
_____

Top photo credit: lostinmiami Hershey Park via photopin (license)