Monday, May 6, 2013

125th Birth Anniversary of Russell Stover

Russell Stover Candies
Russell Stover Candies
Not the candy company, but the man who started it. Russell Stover was born 125 years ago in a sod house in Kansas and became one of the top candy makers in America. His is a true Horatio Alger tale, embodying the tenants of hard work and perseverance. His fortune was initially made by the sales of the Eskimo Pie which was invented by his partner, a school teacher named Christian Nelson. Stover's wife came up with the name, "Eskimo Pie" and the rest is history. The Eskimo Pie, however, was sold by a separate company later on. The Russell Stover company then branched out into candy-making. The company has remained private, although it changed hands in the 60's when Stover's wife sold the company to Louis Ward, whose family still owns and operates it. Russell Stover also acquired Whitman's Chocolates later in the century and today is the third largest chocolate maker in the US. The familiar and ubiquitous chocolates are found in grocery stores, drug stores, and other retailers everywhere. Just an interesting bit of American history.

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