The History of Lollipop Candy

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According to the Miriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word "lollipop" is as follows:

Main Entry: lol•li•pop
Variant(s): or lol-ly-pop
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from English dialect lolly (tongue) + pop
Date: 1784
1: a lump of hard candy on the end of a stick
2: British: a round stop sign on a pole used to stop traffic (as at a school crossing).

Although the definition of one of the best selling candy items is relatively simple, the actual history is a little more complicated.

The first candy on a stick, according to the National Confectionary Association, was probably created by cavemen who maintained beehives and collected honey by stick. Not wanting to waste the sweet residue, they, most likely, licked the utensil and thus the first unintentional lollipop, or, candy on a stick, was born.

It has been reported and verified through archeological discoveries that ancient Arabs, Chinese and Egyptians produced fruit and nut confections which were "candied" in honey which served as a preservative. Due to the nature of the sticky substance, recent discoveries have hinted that sticks were inserted into these treats to make them easier to eat.

In the middle ages in Europe, sugar was an imported luxury item thus making candy extremely expensive. As such, it was enjoyed by nobility and the very wealthy. In order to make this delicacy last longer, sugar was boiled and formed into hard blocks. Although this might be considered the advent of bulk candy, it is reported that candy treats were made complete with sticks and ornate handles.

In the 17th Century, as sugar became plentiful, it was considered a delicacy in England to enjoy boiled sugar candy treats. In order to make them easier to eat, a stick was inserted. By looking at the definition, linguists have surmised that the term "lollipop" may have been derived from street vendors in London during the age of Charles Dickens.

With the discovery of sugar beet juice and the onset of the industrial revolution, the confectionary manufacturing industry blossomed like never before. Hard candy such as horehound drops, lemon drops and peppermint and wintergreen lozenges became commonplace and new candies were created daily.

As with so many other technical innovations, the 20th century ushered in the era of automation and this is where the true history of the birth of the lollipop begins.

There remain discrepancies as to who was the true creator of lollipops. As early as 1905, the McAviney Candy Company, now defunct, may have stumbled upon the lollipop by default. The owner created boiled hard candies which were stirred by stick. At day's end, as a treat for his children, he would bring home sticks covered with the hard candy residue. It wasn't until 1908 that he began to market these "used candy sticks". Although hard evidence does not exist as to when the first candy stick was sold, if true, this would make the McAviney Candy Company the first to offer mass produced lollipops.

In 1908 in Racine, Wisconsin, the first automated lollipop production was invented by the Racine Confectionary Machine Company, not out of ingenuity but rather in the call of service. This innovative, and now defunct, company invented a machine whose sole purpose was to find a way to put hard candy on the end of a stick. The output of this machine was 2400 lollipops per hour and the company believed that they could produce enough lollipops in a week to supply the nation's demand for one year.

The Racine Confectionary Company held the title of the creator of the mass produced lollipop until approximately 1912 when Samuel Born, a Russian immigrant and entrepreneur, invented a machine whose sole purpose was to automatically insert sticks into candy. The City of San Francisco considered this candy innovation so amazing that they awarded him the keys to the city in 1916!

Ever restless and a true lover of confectionaries, Samuel Born is also credited with inventing Sprinkles (or, as they are affectionately called on the East Coast, Jimmies) which are the candy toppings often found on desserts and ice cream. This idea stemmed from his desire to use every portion of the byproducts of creating lollipops.

Unfortunately, no one knows exactly when the lollipop was created, but we do know that it is one of the most popular candies in existence.

While the Racine Confectionary Company was able to produce 57,000 lollipops in one day, which they felt would satisfy the market for an entire year, modern candy companies, such as Spangler Candy Company (creator of Dum Dum Lollipops, Saf-T-Pop and countless other lollipop favorites) can produce up to 3,000,000 per day which hardly satisfies the nation's cravings!

Lollipops come in all shapes and sizes and we offer over 35 varieties from which to choose. Whether you want a Charms Lollipop, Tootsie Pop or a lollipop with a cricket, our candy selection is second to none.