Chicago Was the Candy Capital of the World — and Still Makes Your Favorites

By the middle of the 20th century, Chicago made roughly a third of all the candy in the United States, more than any other city. The concentration of sugar refineries, corn syrup producers, and rail freight access made it ideal. Tootsie Rolls were invented in New York in 1896 by Leo Hirshfield, who named the candy after his daughter Clara's nickname, and have been made in Chicago since 1968. Cracker Jack was invented here; the story goes that it debuted at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, though the name dates only to 1896. Wrigley's gum was headquartered here; the building still bears the name on the Chicago River. Mars moved to Chicago in 1929 and introduced Snickers and 3 Musketeers from its plant here; the Milky Way bar had come with it from Minneapolis. The Tootsie Roll factory on the South Side still operates today, and on certain days the surrounding neighborhood smells of chocolate. The factory is not open to tours, but the scent confirms it's still there.