Idaho Candy Company Makes Candy the Old-Fashioned Way

Candy has a rich history in the United States. Some of the most recognized candies have been around for decades. The Idaho Candy Company began in 1901, founded by T.O Smith. Over 100 years later, the company is still manufacturing candy in the same brick building in downtown Idaho. John Wagers bought the Idaho Candy Company in 1984, and now his son David runs the company. He is committed to making candy the old-fashioned way.

With whimsical names like Idaho Spud, Old Faithful and Chicken Bones, it's no wonder the Idaho Candy Company garnered attention for its sweets back in the day, but the modern-day Idaho Candy Company is still stubbornly old-fashioned. The factory still mixes dark chocolate in old, battered copper kettles and still uses old machines. Deliveries of chocolate and sugar still come to the factory through the back alley. The company still makes Chicken Bones, Boston Baked Beans and even Horehound Lumps, slightly bitter herbal lozenges that help to sooth sore throats.

Wagers admits his candy is not the most "convenient" of candy, but that's what makes it unique. The signature candy bar, the Idaho Spud, still exists today. A chocolate bar with a marshmallow center covered in coconut, the Idaho Spud is a century-old sweet and actually predated the notion that Idaho had excellent potatoes!

Watch the This Built America video above to learn more about the Idaho Candy Factory.

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