From candy corn to wax fangs: A look at the history of popular Halloween candies

To properly honor this hedonistic holiday, we take a look back at the history of some of the more popular candy confections.

Candy corn

Candy corn, one of the oldest candies, was first made by hand in the 1880's. By the early 1900's, the demand for candy corn was so large that the Goelitz Confectionery Company had to turn down orders.

The candy corn was packaged into crates and transported by wagon to houses. The company, now called Jelly Belly Candy Co., has the longest history in the industry of making candy corn and they still use the original recipe. An estimated 20 million pounds are sold per year.

Smarties

Introduced by Edward Dee in 1949, Smarties continue to be manufactured in New Jersey. The Ce De Candy Company was renamed the Smarties Candy Co. in 2011, and the third generation of the Dee family still oversees the manufacturing of Smarties candies. A second factory was opened in Ontario, Canada, (where the candies are known as Rockets) and both locations operate 24 hours a day to keep up with demand.

Tootsie Rolls

Leo Hirshfield began making these penny candies in 1896 from a recipe he had brought from Austria. They are named for Hirshfield's daughter, Clara, nicknamed "Tootsie." The unique texture of the Tootsie roll is due to the fact that the recipe uses leftover candy from the day before in the new rolls, leaving practically no waste. Over 60 million are made daily. Tooties Roll Industries created the world's most popular lollipop in 1931, when they put the candies inside of ordinary suckers.

Dubble Bubble

Created by an accountant named Walter E. Diemer, the first bubble gum, Dubble Bubble, was invented by accident in 1928. A trial offering of 100 pieces at a penny a piece sold out by the end of the first day. By the end of the first year, Dubble Bubble had $1.5 million in sales. Dubble Bubble is now owned by Tootsie Roll Industries and is the world's most popular gum.

Dots

Dots were invented in 1945 and are now America’s favorite, best-selling gumdrop brand. Tootsie Roll Industries produces more than 4 billion Dots annually from its Chicago plant. Listed with PETA as vegan candies, they are also kosher.

Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses

A molasses and peanut butter taffy candy, Mary Janes are either flat, rectangular candies wrapped in clear cellophane, or bigger chews in familiar black and orange wrappers. The larger candies contain a concentrated peanut butter pocket in the center. Originally made by the Miller Company in 1914 and later a taffy company called Stark Candy Company,and finally by Necco, which continues to make the traditional Mary Janes pretty much unchanged from its original format.

Gummy Bears (and worms)

An invention of Haribro in the 1960's and inspired by an already popular bear-shaped gum. Gummy bears are now made by a number of companies in a variety of shapes.

Bit-O-Honey

Bit-O-Honey candies were first introduced in 1924 and sold as full-size candy bars that were divided into six breakable sections. Today, you are more likely to only find the miniatures in stores.

A mild and distinct honey flavor join with ground almonds to give the candy a nutty, earthy flavor. Essentially a taffy, Bit-O-Honeys last for a long time. Bit-O-Honey is owned by Nestle, and according to its site, they still use the same formula that first made Bit-O-Honeys a success.

Wax Lips/Fangs

The birth of the oil industry and introduction of kerosene for illumination created a distillation byproduct — paraffin. In 1927, Buffalo, N.Y., confectioner John W. Glenn used fully refined food-grade paraffin and a sense of humor to find a niche in America's imagination. W&F Manufacturing's wax candy division, Glenn Confections, created the popular ancestors of today's Wack-O-Wax and Nik-L-Nips. Today as a small part of Tootsie-Roll Industries, Concord Confections continues to produce Wax Lips (Wack-O-Wax) and other paraffin candies.