Candy History, Candy News

Candy History: Oh Henry

September 19, 2013 by

oh-henry-vintageThe Oh Henry Bar is a straightforward, delicious candy bar with a somewhat complicated history. As opposed to Snickers that was named after Forrest Mars’ beloved racehorse, no one is 100% certain where the name for Oh Henry came from.

Theories abound but one thing that almost everyone agrees upon is that this is a delicious candy bar and has been for close to 100 years. And no, this candy bar is not named after the baseball great Hank Aaron.

Spark your curiosity? Read on…

Lore has it that the name was derived from that of a randy young man who made frequents visits to the original manufacturers – the Williamson company – less for sugary sweets and more to flirt with the eye candy who worked on the assembly line. This leaves us to assume that the young man’s name was — you guessed it — Henry. But certain proof eludes us.

Perhaps a more credible theory is that the candy bar was named after the owner of the now defunct Peerless Candy company.  The owner’s name was Tom Henry and in a vainglorious move, created the Tom Henry Bar.  It was a short-lived venture as he sold the rights to the candy bar in 1920 to the Williamson Candy who changed the name to Oh Henry.

oh-henry-candy-bar-historyOh Henry was also one of the first examples of “guerilla marketing” as an employee of Williamson Candy Company was determined to make the Oh Henry Bar famous. Lacking the funds to launch a full frontal Madison Avenue advertising campaign, this wily salesman had bumper stickers printed with only two words – Oh Henry. Curiousity didn’t kill the cat and this candy bar quickly made a name for itself.

The candy bar is also sold in Canada but distributed by Hershey with the difference being a “chocolately” coating as opposed to milk chocolate.

Things remained much the same for close to 65 years until 1984, when Nestle acquired the rights to distribute Oh Henry in the United States but, alas, not everything lasts forever.

In 2018, Nestle sold the rights to Ferrara Pan and the candy bar has curiously disappared from the shelves.  As of October 2019, it has not been confirmed that these beloved candy icon has been discontinued. Stay tuned…

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43 Comments

  • Reply Mollie Sheppard October 12, 2014 at 2:07 am

    So for the record the real story is….
    My Great Grandfather Henry Brown McKelvie worked his whole life for a food distributing company in Vancouver, British Columbia called Kelly Douglas & Company.
    Henry was the head of the candy, drug and tobacco departments. It was his suggestion to add the caramel & peanuts to the plain chocolate bars that Hershey made at the time. They named the chocolate bar after him.

    • Reply Jonah Half October 16, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Thanks so much for sharing! We haven’t heard this theory of the Oh Henry! name before, or have seen any linkage between the candy bar and Kelly Douglas & Company. Do you have have any proof to back up your claim?

    • Reply Deborah Lamb December 11, 2017 at 11:50 am

      I grew up in Kansas. I was always told that the home of the oh henry candy bar came from a small town in Kansas. Dexter, Kansas to be exact. The candy store is still there and still claims the original oh henry candy bar came from there.

      • Reply Terry Mccaslin February 9, 2018 at 12:08 am

        This story is true I was born and raised in Winfield and have always read same story. Tom Henry created the Oh Henry bar. He was from Arkansas City.

  • Reply Robert F. Henderson March 25, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    We have a tradition here in the small So. Indiana town of Orleans that has been passed down for years now that the inspiration for the candy bar came from a local boy named Henry Monihan. The Monihan family here were friends with the Willamsons of Chicago and visited them often.

  • Reply Jill white August 21, 2017 at 11:33 am

    I don’t know what the real story is on who the ohenry bar was named after but recently during renovations on our old home an ohenry bar box was discovered inside a wall. When it was shown to my sister in law by the
    workman who found it (he said wow this may be valuable!) To which she replied ” it would have been worth more had you not eaten the bar!”…we got a big chuckle out of this but realistically is this box of any interest? Is there a museum for such things? The box is in really good shape especially considering where it’s been all these years!😀have pictures if interested.

    • Reply Jonah Half August 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm

      Cool story and we would love to see some pictures!

  • Reply Doug StClair December 25, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    When my youngest son Henry was born, instead of cigars I proudly passed out O’Henry bars that were a big hit! Year 2000

  • Reply B. Colmenero June 24, 2018 at 9:20 am

    I can remember when they were only a nickel for one candy bar.

  • Reply Leo July 6, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    it’s named after the famous writer O. Henry.

  • Reply Leora Henry July 29, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    Ok. Although these other theories are interesting let me set the record straight once and for all. Those of you who mentioned Henry’s Candies in Dexter Ks are correct! The candy bar WAS invented by Tom Henry (my great grandfather) Which was also the original name of the candy bar. The named changed to Oh Henry when he sold the patent to Williamson candy co. Who would later sell it to Nestle. 50+ years ago MY grandfather and my Dad Pat Henry Sr. And Pat Henry Jr. Who had learned the art of candy making from him,opened their own store, Henry and Son in Arkansas City Ks and later moved the operation to Dexter Ks where it is still up and running.. by my Aunt and 2 cousins. Where, btw, you can buy the original recipe of the candy bar.. But because the rights to the name werd sold, we cannot use the name Oh Henry. It is instead called Mama Henry bar..and is AMAZING. If you get a chance to stop by the store it will not disappoint. All the candy is still made by hand using the old recipes handed down by Great Grandfather. If there are anyone who still thinks it came from your brother, cousin, neighbors dog etc.Please look up the patent! It is available online. Thanks and God Bless. Leora
    Henry

  • Reply Laura S Colen August 2, 2018 at 11:26 am

    I was curious after adopting a 3 yr. old Great Pyranese, named…..yup…..Henry.

  • Reply Laura S Colen August 2, 2018 at 11:28 am

    I was curious after adopting a 3 yr. old Great Pyranese, named…..yup…..Henry. Thanks for the history!

  • Reply Keith August 16, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    Leora Henry, If it is available online, please provide a link.

  • Reply Mdk August 18, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    I thought the company was owned (at least in the 90’s) by Sue Ellen Mischke.

  • Reply Dee Rollins September 9, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    What store in Henrico Virginia, csn I find O Henry candy bars

  • Reply Thomas Dougherty January 27, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    I vividly remember Paul Harvey telling this story on his radio show. “And now you know the rest of the story” It was a great story – I won’t try to tell – but it came from a young man who worked at the factory and was named Henry. He was a jack of all trades and anybody that wanted something done would say “Oh Henry” calling him over to do something.

  • Reply William Malmstrom February 8, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    And here I thought my literary grandparents were absolutely correct about the derivation of the name. When the new company took over in 1920 they wanted to change the name from Tom Henry candy bar did something snappier and more marketable. The incredibly popular American fiction writer O. Henry had died just 10 years before. But he was still at the Pinnacle of his Fame, the bee’s knees of American fiction. So when the new company took over the Tom Henry bar became the “Oh Henry”. They got to share all the glory the original
    O. Henry author, but were protected from copyright litigation by making the first word Oh instead of the initial O. And they even had plausible deniability for the Henry part, since it had already been named after Tom Henry to begin with. I still believe that’s the real story.

  • Reply HHlm July 26, 2019 at 10:15 am

    My sad story is Nestle’s in Burlington produced it in their plant. I work on the line it was made on. Farrara bought out the snacks sections of Nestle’s and discontinued the line of my favorite Oh Henry bar! As of May 2019! Sad day for me I would love to eat the Oh Henry “naked” without chocolate! Peanut allergies are a severely high priority to Nestle’s and the Goobers that are also made at this plant need to move to are other sister plant that produce Baby Ruth and Butterfingers,. Nestle’s goal is to be number one in Toll House Morsels! Enjoy!

  • Reply Adrian August 12, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    HHlm. In Canada we have a limited time Oh Henry that is basically a naked one. Just peanuts rolled around a caramel log. It’s called Oh Henry 4:25 and it’s marketed as for recreational hunger to tie in with decriminalization of marijuana. Comes in a greeny package. Quite salty.

  • Reply Katie Mathews August 16, 2019 at 10:19 pm

    I have been told throughout the years that it was my grandfather that invented the candy bar in his small candy shop which was done by experimentation. He sold the nameless candy bar in his shop for several years. Now here is where l loose how it came to be that he sold the recipe to someone who later got it patented and made a name for himself. I live by this story as it has been told to me and family members for years. I heard it straight from my grandfather’s mouth. He and a friend opened a candy store and made candy in the back for sometime before selling the recipie. Once again l am unsure how the sale came about or when and how. I’m sure l was told but do not remember the pertaintant details at my tender age of 60 plus years.

  • Reply Yotama November 5, 2019 at 11:58 am

    Found the Oh Henry bars in a fun size bag of candy containing Baby Ruths and Butterfingers, so they still exist as over November 2019!

  • Reply jimihinkle January 1, 2020 at 11:38 pm

    65 years old now, and Old Henry has been my favorite candy bar since I was a boy. We have been having trouble finding them lately so I have been enjoying my second favorite candy bar called Baby Ruth.

  • Reply jimihinkle January 1, 2020 at 11:39 pm

    65 years old now, and Old Henry has been my favorite candy bar since I was a boy. We have been having trouble finding them lately so I have been enjoying my second favorite candy bar called Baby Ruth.

  • Reply Peter Aung Thin February 28, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    Leora’s version is the correct story, with a twist. A travelling sales team was selling the candy from the trunk of their car along with Tootsie rolls and pops. On a long stretch of highway they lamented the fact the name was a bit stale. Suddenly one of the passengers exclaimed, “who just farted in this car?” Oh, Henry was the response, and Eureka! A legend was born!

  • Reply Dianne March 3, 2020 at 2:02 pm

    I live in Manhattan and there was a store on the UES who still sold my favorite candy bar. Alas, they just sold the last one and tell me they can no longer order them. That helps my waistline but not my happiness.

  • Reply Daphne March 10, 2020 at 3:36 am

    During WW2 Canadian soldiers based in the village of Betchworth in Surrey, England used to give Oh Henry bars to us children. There were no sweets in the shops, so this little bite of Canada was to us children a taste of heaven. My next one was 70 years later when I was visiting Vancouver. It was just as good.

  • Reply Justin Padgett March 17, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    I lived in Kansas for 29 years and had a place in Oklahoma on the mouth of the Caney river. Our couple times a month trek took us right by the aforementioned candy store in Dexter, Ks. We have been there many many times and always left with a sack full of candy and enjoyed hanging around for a bit watching them make the candies. The story of the Oh! Henry candy bar and it’s history is posted there, or at least it was. I moved from there 8 years ago but have told my wife about that place probably a 100 times or more!! Gonna take her out there one day just to go there!!

  • Reply Marylyn April 29, 2020 at 7:39 am

    I’ve loved OhHenry’s since I was a child and are still my favorite 80+ years later! Now, it’s become a very special gift whenever my friends and family can find them !

  • Reply C Preston April 30, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    You can still buy a Hershey bar anywhere you find a chocolate bar in Canada. I ate one last night that was purchased this week in Calgary, Alberta!

  • Reply James July 13, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    Was there not a candy bar kind of like this called the Aaron Bar?

  • Reply lorraine thomas July 31, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Can’t believe the erroneous information out there regarding Oh Henry etc. associated with Walter M. Lowney Chocolate Co. in Montreal. My grandfather was Vice President, also American as was Walter
    I have documented evidence, photographs and wonderful memories of a legacy that seemingly is gone. But, each and every time I pass “an impulse section with chocolates in the cash area of a store” I stare and almost cry. It’s still there!

  • Reply John corder September 13, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    The O Henery bar may have origins with the Incas! Reading a a copy of Hiram Bingham Book called Last City of The Incas published 1911 he mentions a native made him and his group a emergency ration of which was Crude Cane sugar poured into an oblong moulds cut in a big log of hard wood In witch his Son place handfuls of nicely roasted peanuts! He says they greatly enjoyed on return journey. Page 140 of the book. The book is of the Machu Picchu and its Builders. This time line co insides with being invented late 1910. This bar is also mentioned in a Tom Swift novel of 1915 mentioning it being a energy ration in The Great War.-

    • Reply Jonah Half October 5, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      This is a great piece of candy trivia! Would you mind if we included this in the product description? Please let us know at support@candyfavorites.com! Thanks for sharing!!

  • Reply Candy Baby Names: Dulcie, Reese, Ruth – Raising a child February 13, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    […] names. Still, parents can celebrate the birth of a son named Henry with the candy bars – except Americans will now have to import them from Canada. They’re not currently manufactured or sold in the […]

  • Reply Linda Ashley August 12, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    I am a proud Canadian in 2021 buying a regular supply of the Oh Henry! Bars every week. ( with nutc , etc. )

  • Reply Robyn Braxton August 26, 2021 at 10:47 pm

    I have been searching DJ or O’Henry bars for years my favorite candy bar. O well l guess I’ll take second bar Zero bars. Oh Waite l haven’t seen those bars ever

    • Reply Jonah Half September 1, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      O’Henry and Zero Bars are still available and can be purchased on CandyFavorites.com. So many candies have been discontinued and it is as disconcerting to us as it must be to the consumer….

  • Reply Robyn Braxton August 26, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    Please still be making it

  • Reply David Baker December 16, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    Oh Henry was made on Armitage Ave 4700 west, across the street YoHo potatoes chips factory and across the alley from Good Humor ice cream and in Back of Ecko manufacturing ! Utensils, Pots and Pans in the Cragin area !

  • Reply Tahini Bars: A Healthy Protein-Packed Snack – MakeHummusNotWar October 4, 2022 at 3:17 am

    […] it’s so delicious that it’s like a treat, too. Chocolate tahini is used to flavor the classic O’Henry candy bar. The oatmeal bars should be baked for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway, until the surface has […]

  • Reply Stephen Crawford October 6, 2023 at 9:15 pm

    Well I am laying here in my bed just had a O Henry bar and wondered where the name came from
    Well after ready all the comments it’s interesting but this chocolate bar has seemingly out lasted the Great Depression two World Wars and the test of time
    I am from Canada and it’s in every variety store ,drug store , grocery stores popular mini size are given out at Halloween , they have a special edition with Recesses Peanut Butter on the inside and it’s fantastic

  • Reply Oh Henry Bars Recipe December 9, 2023 at 11:24 am

    […] delectable bar cookies were inspired by a storied candy bar called Oh Henry! (you gotta love a candy bar with an exclamation point in its name). They’ve been around for over […]

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