Historian talks about Chicago candy making and more

Historian and author Leslie Goddard’s book, “Chicago’s Sweet Candy History,” is scheduled to be published by Arcadia Publishing in late August.

A popular speaker and historical presenter for clubs and organizations in the suburbs, Goddard has been giving talks on Chicago’s candy-making history for several years and collaborated with the Elmhurst Historical Museum on its new exhibit, “Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital.”

The following is an edited interview with the Daily Herald about the exhibit and what else she has been doing.

Q. How did you get interested in the history of candy making in Chicago?

A. When the Field Museum did their exhibit on chocolate, I started to get interested in the Chicago connection. At that time, I was working at the Evanston Historical Society and I found that a number of really big names in Chicago candy had been living in Evanston.

I got interested in the whole story of Chicago candy, not just Chicago. I was really, really fascinated by the fact that I had not known this. I grew up in this area and I knew there was the factory that made Baby Ruths and Butterfingers by O’Hare, and I knew Ferrara Pan was here, but I don’t think I realized just how big the Chicago candy industry was.

I thought, I bet there are other people who also don’t know that.

Q. You collaborated on the exhibit in the Elmhurst Historical Museum. Is there anything in particular you would like to point out to visitors about it?

A. People love to talk about candy because it’s fun and we all have such great, strong memories of candy, or many people do. But I think it’s more than just fun nostalgia. Chicago candy makers pioneered so many interesting developments in candy. When you think about taking candy from a special event luxury to making it an everyday thing, Chicago candy makers were major players in that.

They didn’t invent the candy bar, but they really promoted it as the primary way that we buy candy. They didn’t invent Halloween trick-or-treating, but they were really the ones who aggressively promoted it.

It wasn’t until after World War II, trick-or-treating became the way you celebrated Halloween. It was largely because, I think, Chicago candy makers started to promote trick-or-treating. They took out tons of advertisements. They started packaging candy to make it easier to give out.

Q.When was Chicago’s candy-making heyday? What is the state of Chicago-making today?

A. It was from the late 1890s through probably the 1950s.

Some of the most innovative ideas in candy making today are coming out of Chicago. Some of the major players — like Tootsie Roll, the Wrigley Company, World’s Finest Chocolate, Ferrara — they’re still here.

The National Confectioners Association, when they choose where to have the big Sweets and Snacks Expo every year, they always have it in Chicago.

Q. Do you have a favorite Chicago candy?

A. Every time I have a bowl of trick-or-treat candy, it’s always Butterfingers I save for last. Peanut butter, chocolate, crunchiness — you can’t go wrong with that.

Q. You are also known in the area for portraying notable woman from history and for your lectures. Are there any topics in particular demand right now?

A. (Titanic survivor) Violet Jessup. She’s been the most popular recently.

People are most interested in a topic when there’s a personal connection to it — be it something like candy, people have strong emotional memories of it. Same thing with Marshall Field’s. People remember it and they loved it. Same thing with Jackie Kennedy, people know her and they remember her.

I have a new topic I just started doing about American beauty, about makeup, corsets, hoop skirts, things like that. It was really fun talking with women who grew up in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Oh my gosh, the memories of girdles, garters, heavy pancake makeup, perms. It’s really fun to hear the memories.

Q.You have worked for the Evanston Historical Society, the Elmhurst Historical Museum, the Morton Arboretum and recently became the executive director of Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook. What are your plans there?

A. Graue Mill was one of the first museums I ever went to. It’s a really strong match for a lot of topics I’m most fascinated by — the Civil War and fabric arts.

I love the fact that it’s such an interactive place. You can see the corn milling, the weaving, the spinning. You can see the gears in the water wheel moving. I really admire that. It’s in good shape right now. I don’t have any plans to make any big overhauls.