| Elmer's Candy |
| Elmer's retail store, early 1900's. Elmer's is the oldest family owned chocolate company in America and the second largest heart-boxed chocolate manufacturer in America! |
In New Orleans, Elmer's Candy is as much of a tradition as pralines and
beignets. And every year, when it's time for the Easter bunny to make an
appearance, my thoughts go back to my childhood Easter baskets and those
oh-so-delicious Heavenly Hash, Gold Brick and Pecan eggs made by Elmer's.
Elmer's opened in 1855, started by German immigrant, Christopher Henry Miller,
who had come to New Orleans all alone to seek his fortune at the age of sixteen.
Since that time, only three families have run the company. The name was
changed from Miller's to Elmer's when Miller's son-in-law, Augustus Elmer, took
over the business in the early 1900's. In the 1960's, a partner, Roy Nelson,
bought the company from the remaining Elmer descendants. At the present
time, a third generation of Nelsons are in charge.
I don't know the date of these photographs, but from the clothes and office
equipment, my guess would be the early 1900's.
beignets. And every year, when it's time for the Easter bunny to make an
appearance, my thoughts go back to my childhood Easter baskets and those
oh-so-delicious Heavenly Hash, Gold Brick and Pecan eggs made by Elmer's.
Elmer's opened in 1855, started by German immigrant, Christopher Henry Miller,
who had come to New Orleans all alone to seek his fortune at the age of sixteen.
Since that time, only three families have run the company. The name was
changed from Miller's to Elmer's when Miller's son-in-law, Augustus Elmer, took
over the business in the early 1900's. In the 1960's, a partner, Roy Nelson,
bought the company from the remaining Elmer descendants. At the present
time, a third generation of Nelsons are in charge.
I don't know the date of these photographs, but from the clothes and office
equipment, my guess would be the early 1900's.
| Their first building was on the corner of Jackson and Levee Streets. |
| The packing and shipping department. |
| The link to this page is: http://old-new-orleans.com/NO_Elmers.html Back to Old New Orleans Whispers - Home |
| My aunt once worked on the candy assembly line at Elmer's. She was young at the time and was thrilled when she learned that the company policy was 'eat as much candy as you like, free of charge!' She could hardly believe her good fortune....until she learned the method behind this seeming madness, and it didn't take her long to reach an understanding. For two days, she ate her fill---and way beyond---of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. The third day, she couldn't go to work, because her folly had caught up with her and she was sick as sick could be. From that day forward, as long as she worked at the company, she couldn't bring herself to eat another piece of chocolate. And she couldn't face another Gold Brick bar for the rest of her life! :-) Nancy |