Hard Candy Christmas: How Racine Contributed to the Candy Cane
Hard Candy Christmas: How Racine Contributed to the Candy Cane
Among its many productions and manufacturers, Racine has a sweeter entry perfect for the holiday season: the iconic candy cane. This striped sugar stick is beloved by children and adults alike and now comes in different candy flavors and an array of colors.
According to an article written by Preservation Racine in 2002, the Racine Engine and Machinery Company entered America’s candy industry in 1908, and 50 years later, it became responsible for mechanically creating the crook in a candy cane.
During those 50 years, the Racine Engine and Machinery Company underwent several name changes, beginning in 1903 as the Racine Engine and Iron Works. After starting to create candy machines, in 1917 they changed their name to the Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company.
The company remained independent for forty years until the Vacuum Candy Machinery Company of New York purchased it. The Vacuum Candy Machinery Company was then purchased by the J. W. Greer Company of Wilmington, Massachusetts, in 1959. It was absorbed into the company as the Vacuum-Racine Division.
Automating the Candy Cane Crook
In 1958, inventor William H. Genich created the Automatic Candy Cane Crooker. Genich was the design engineer, plant manager, and vice president of Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company.
A patent was filed on June 11, 1956, and granted to the Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company on March 25, 1958.
As detailed in the description, the Crooker could be paired with a twisting and cutting machine, using a conveyor belt to move the soft candies from one machine to another in order to create the proper shape. The candy would sit in trough-like pieces that would hold it in place while the rollers rotated to form the crook.
The Automatic Candy Cane Crooker was the last invention manufactured by the company while still in Racine. Once it was purchased by the J. W. Greer Company, the operation and Genich moved to Massachusetts.
A Sweet History
For the majority of its 355-year history, candy canes were made completely by hand. They started as white sticks, with the red striping being added in 1900. The colored stripes were flavored with peppermint or wintergreen. The crooks were shaped by hand until the Crooker automated it.
There are different stories about where candy canes originated, but the most common source is Germany. The candy is also thought to represent a shepherd’s crook or a J for Jesus, but that also hasn’t been irrefutably proven.
Candy canes are most commonly sold in December and are given to children on St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. Many put them on Christmas trees, into stockings, and as part of gifts for the holiday season.
In Racine, a candy shop called Melli Candy Manufacturing Company is advertising homemade candy canes.
The Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company
The Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company created machines that continue to produce staple holiday candies seen in Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day boxes, Trick-or-Treat bags, and Christmas stockings.
They manufactured an array of machines used in the confectionery and chocolate industry, including the Marshmallow Depositer, Starch Printers, Cream Beaters, Syrup Coolers, Chocolate Drip Catchers, and more.
Their most famous claim to fame was the Racine Automatic Sucker Machine. This device could insert a stick into a piece of hard sugar candy during the molding process for lollipops. The success of the Automatic Sucker Machine also led to the company becoming the Racine Confectioners’ Machinery Company.
A Piece of Racine History
Even though the company left Racine in 1958, Jim Mercier of the Spirit of Racine Entrepreneurs Exhibit has items on display, including a candy machine, one of the Confectioners’ magazines, and candy canes. The museum is located in the Racine Business Center on 16th Street, where the Confectioners’ Machinery was located.
So next time you find a candy cane hanging on a tree or poking out of a stocking, you can fondly remember that Racine played a small part in its shaping.
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