Milton Snavley Hershey
Derry Church, Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pennsylvania
(1871-1915)
Fanny Hershey
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| Milton Hershey | |
Milton Snavley Hershey
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| Born | September 13, 1857 Derry Church, Pennsylvania |
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| Died | October 13, 1945 (aged 88) Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Cause of death | Heart Attack |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Founder, Hershey Foods Corporation |
| Religious beliefs | Mennonite |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine "Kitty" Sweeney (1871-1915) |
| Parents | Henry H Hershey Fanny Hershey |
Milton Snavely Hershey (September 13, 1857 – October 13, 1945) was a confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company and the "company town" of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
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Hershey envisioned a complete community around his factory. He built a model town for his employees that included comfortable homes, an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public school system and extensive recreational and cultural opportunities. Hershey avoided building a faceless company town with row houses. He wanted a home town with tree-lined streets, single- and two-family brick houses, and manicured lawns. He was concerned about providing adequate recreation and diversions, so he built HersheyPark which opened on 24 April 1907, and expanded rapidly over the next several years. Amusement rides, a swimming pool, and a ballroom were added. Soon, trolley cars and trains were added to escort out-of-town visitors to the park.
Many of the town's structures were built during the Great Depression, as part of Milton Hershey's "Great Building Campaign" to provide jobs. It was then that structures such as the Hotel Hershey, community center, Hershey Theatre, the HersheyPark Arena and HersheyPark Stadium were constructed, transforming the town into a tourist attraction.
In 1912, the Hersheys were to travel on the ill-fated British luxury liner RMS Titanic. However, they canceled their reservations because Mrs. Hershey was sick at the time.[1] Instead, they booked passage to New York City on the German luxury liner Amerika. The Hershey Museum displays a copy of the check Hershey wrote to the White Star Line as a deposit for a first class stateroom on Titanic.[2]
Milton S. Hershey died at the age of 88 on October 13 1945, in Hershey Hospital in Pennsylvania, a year after he had retired from the board.
