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Clark Bars

Candy Memories, Candy News

LifeSavers – “A Hole Lot of Fun”

May 19, 2017 by

 “Sometimes memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks.”

Did you ever wish you could have just one special day back from your childhood? A day where you could be in a certain place, with a specific person, at a particular time? A day you could freeze and thaw anytime you wanted? I think memories work like that.

I have many ”wish days” but there’s one that I’d love to relive. That certain place would be at our family store, Davidek’s Market, the specific person would be my dad, and that particular time would be after school.

When I was in junior high, the bus left me off 2 blocks from our little neighborhood store.  I’d walk there after school. Wednesdays were one of my favorite days to come through that swinging glass front door. I knew my dad would be waiting for me. In his crisp white starched apron, standing behind the wooden meat block cutting pork chops, probably for our next door neighbor’s dinner. I see him smile and hear him say, “There she is,” as I dropped my books near the black metal, manual adding machine.

Wednesday. It was the day our candy order was delivered. My dad knew to leave it for me to stock. It’s the day I got to open orange boxes of Clark Bars; brown and green boxes of Milky Ways; red, white and blue boxes of 3 Musketeers and cellophane wrapped boxes of Wrigley’s, Juicy Fruit, Double Mint and Teaberry gum. But my favorite candy treasure to open was the little packs of Life Savers.

Did you know LifeSavers were first made in 1912 by chocolate maker Clarence Crane because he wanted a sweet treat that wouldn’t melt in the summer heat? They got their name because they looked like life preservers.

Right in the middle of my dad’s long, white, porcelain meat counter sat a long metal LifeSavers holder. That holder held that same spot for as long as I could remember. I loved filling in each spot with the different colored rolls. I’d unwrap my favorite flavor first –Wild Cherry, which always seemed to be the first ones to go (hmmm . . . I think I had something to do with that). Then the multi-colored 5 Flavor rolls. The green Wint-O-Green. Next the blue Pep-O-Mint. Each little roll fitting snuggly in their designated spot.

Then when I was all through with my candy duties, I’d grab my roll of Wild Cherry LifeSavers, pull that little green string through the foil and plop one in my mouth. Just like it was yesterday, a burst of that sweet cherry delight swirling across my taste buds can bring it all back to me.

Memories of that one special day sneaking into my eyes. Just me and my dad, in the store after school, laughing and talking behind that white porcelain meat counter. With a roll of cherry LifeSavers in my pocket as I catch a tear rolling down my cheeks.

Candy History, Nostalgic Candy Favorites

Candy History: Clark Bars

August 29, 2013 by

vintage-clark-bar-postcard

Clark Bars are an American institution near and dear to our black-and-gold Pittsburgh Hearts. They were formulated right here in our hometown of McKeesport, PA at the turn of the century by a gentleman named David L. Clark. The candy bar was originally made just a few blocks from the warehouse where our candy company has  resided since 1927! Since our founder Ernest Prince was friendly with Mr. Clark, we were probably the very FIRST candy wholesalers in the nation to offer this treat.

The company later changed its name to “DL Clark Company” and moved to downtown Pittsburgh. It graced the city with an illuminated candy-bar sign and remained until 1955 when it was acquired by Beatrice Foods. Over the years, they would be acquired by Leaf Confections and then again by Hershey, who returned the candy bar and its headquarters to its roots in Pittsburgh. It remained for three short but blissful years until New England Confectionary Company acquired it.

vintage clark candy bar pittsburghDespite Clark’s many owners and a few controversial ingredient changes (that were fortunately reversed), Clark Bars remain a tried-and-true classic combination of crunchy peanut butter and creamy milk chocolate. Today, this retro candy qualifies as a piece of edible Americana.