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Oh Henry! is a candy bar containing peanuts, caramel and fudge, coated in chocolate and contrary to popular belief, it contains absolutely no nougat. It was first introduced in 1920, by the Williamson Candy Company of Chicago, Illinois. According to legend, Oh Henry! was originally named after a boy who frequented the Williamson company, flirting with the girls who made the candy. The name is also said to be a homage to American writer, O. Henry. However, there is no definitive explanation as to the exact origin of the name.
The candy bar was invented by a man named Tom Henry of Arkansas City, Kansas. Tom Henry ran a candy company called the Peerless candy factory, and in 1919 he started making the Tom Henry candy bar. He sold the candy bar to Williamson Candy Company in 1920 where they later changed the name to "Oh Henry!". Henry's family now runs a candy factory in Dexter, Kansas that sells "momma henry" bars, which are near identical to the original candy bar.
In 1923, an employee of Williamson, John Glossinger, announced that he was going to make the Oh Henry! bar a national best seller. Company officials said it was impossible and denied him the funds for an advertising campaign. Glossinger went into the streets and pasted stickers saying merely "Oh Henry!" onto automobile bumpers. People became curious as to what an Oh Henry! was and sales for the bar rose quickly.
Nestlé acquired the United States rights to the brand in 1984, and continues to produce the bar. In Canada, the bar is currently sold by The Hershey Company and manufactured at their Smith's Falls, Ontario facilities.
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Cultural References
In episode 122 of Seinfeld, titled "The Caddy", a fictional character named Sue Ellen Mischke is described as the heiress to the "Oh Henry!" candy bar fortune. After an accident, Kramer and Elaine blame Sue Ellen and sue her because of her perceived great wealth in connection with the "Oh Henry!" fortune.
Baseball fans in Montreal and Chicago would routinely toss the bars onto the playing field in celebration of a Henry Rodriguez home run.[1][2]
See also
References
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (September 2009) |
- ^ Chicago Tribune, [1], June 4, 1999
- ^ Chicago Tribune, [2], May 31, 1999
External links
- Oh Henry! from Nestlé USA
- Oh Henry! from Hershey Canada
- Ark City's Rich History of Candy from arkcity.net
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