Whitman’s Chocolates are 174 Years Old

Amazing but true—the familiar gold boxes of chocolates were debuted in Philadelphia in 1842. That discovery raises the question, what about other famous brand names? Like Borden’s condensed milk—Gail Borden first peddled sweetened milk from a pushcart in Manhattan in 1857. Like Fleischman’s Yeast—it revolutionized baking when it was introduced in 1868. Like Campbell’s soup, which first showed up in 1869. Like Quaker Oats—this has been a popular cereal since 1877. Like Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix in 1890. Like Fig Newtons—named after Newton, Massachusetts, a favorite cookie–since 1891. Like Jello—people have been eating the giggling salad/dessert dish since 1897. Like Kellogg’s Toasted Corn Flakes since 1907. Like Crisco—the winning entry in a produced-naming contest by Procter & Gamble–in 1911. Like Lifesavers in 1912. Like Betty Crocker—the name of a character invented to answer questions from customers at Gold Medal Flour in 1921. Finally, it’s an easy guess that most homes in America have a bottle of Heinz 57 sauce in the fridge. It’s good to know that Heinz first started making condiments in 1869—and the first of its 57 varieties was a pickled horseradish.