 | |
 Mary Jane candies | |
| Product type | Candy |
|---|---|
| Owner | Atkinson Candy Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1914; 111 years ago (1914) |
| Markets | North America |
| Previous owners |
|
Mary Jane is an old-fashionedtaffy-type candy made from peanut butter and molasses. First marketed in 1914, Mary Jane has remained in production for over a century save for a two-year pause when its ownership changed hands.
History
In the 1800s, molasses was a popular confectionery ingredient for making taffy, with many candy companies situated in and around Boston, Massachusetts, then a major port in the molasses trade. These included the New England Confectionery Company (better known as Necco} in Cambridge, the Austin T. Merrill Company in Roxbury, and Charles H. Miller and Sons who began operating out of the former North End residence of Paul Revere starting in 1884. in 1914, Charles H. Miller's son, Charles N. Miller, developed the formula for a taffy-like candy that mixed peanut butter into the molasses for a softer texture than earlier candies. Miller chose to call his candy "Mary Jane," citing that it was the name of his favorite aunt while also choosing a cartoon mascot who resembled a character of the same name that appeared in the popular Buster Brown comic strip at that time. Mary Janes were wrapped in yellow wax paper brandished with a single red stripe and originally sold as penny candies under the slogan, “Use your change for Mary Janes.” The Mary Jane Logo—a cartoon girl clad in a yellow dress a bonnet and yellow dress with the candy's name emblazoned across the hem—has remained in tact since the product's inception.
Inn 1989, the Wisconsin-based Stark Candy Company acquired Miller's holdings and began producing Mary Janes until Stark was bought out by Necco in 2008, effectively returning the candy's production to Massachusetts., When Necco filed for bankruptcy in 2018, the company's various brands were auctioned off a la carte and no buyer was immediately found for Mary Janes. Necco's purchaser, Spangler Candy Company, thus retained rights to the Mary Jane brand had no plans to make the candy. In 2019, the Atkinson Candy Company entered a licensing agreement with Spangler and renewed production of Mary Janes starting in 2020.
In popular culture
Mary Jane candies, and their cartoon mascot, are featured in Toni Morrison’s 1970 novel, The Bluest Eye.
References
- Mary Jane makes a sweet comeback Retrieved October 18,2020
- Johnson, Sarah Wassberg (October 27, 2020). "The Real Story Behind the "Gross" Black and Orange Halloween Taffy". The Food Historian. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Garner, Nicole (29 October 2015). "The Revolutionary Story Behind Mary Jane Candies". Mental Floss. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ T, Eric (16 February 2015). "What Are Mary Janes Candies?". Culinary Lore. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- "NECCO Candy Company History Timeline". Feb 7, 2019. Retrieved Oct 14, 2020.
- Rosenberg, Eli. "Necco wafer factory abruptly shuts down after company is sold to unknown buyer". Retrieved Oct 14, 2020 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- Emily Petsko (March 22, 2019). "Necco Wafers and Sweethearts Are Making a Comeback—Whether You Like It or Not". MentalFloss.com. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- "Atkinson to produce Mary Jane candies under agreement with Spangler Candy". candyindustry.com. Candy Industry. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
External links
- Mary Jane Archived 2020-06-16 at the Wayback Machine brand page at Atkinson Candy Company
| Confectionery products of Necco | |
|---|---|
 | This confectionery-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |