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Goetze to Know the Generations – William

Goetze to Know the Generations
Willaim is the son of August Goetze, he is considered the 1st generation of Goetze's within the confectionary industry. William graduated from the Institute of Art and later Baltimore Business College. After graduating, Willaim explored the art business on his own dealing in oil and pastel artwork, and later print work for the Baltimore Chewing Gum Co. William was involved in the purchase of the Baltimore Chewing Gum Co. alongside his father at 32 years old.
William was the president and sole owner of the Baltimore Chewing Gum Company (later Goetze’s Candy Co.) until his death in 1934. During his time in the family business, William was an industry pioneer and may have been the first to produce “bubble gum” in place of “chewing gum” with documentation dating back to the early 1920’s. The first use of the term “bubble” was with the introduction of Goetze’s Red Star Bubble Chewing Gum sticks hitting the market in the early 1900’s alongside twist wrapped pieces of Goetze’s Bubble Chewing Gum on the market around the same time. In addition, William also moved manufacturing from Ashland Avenue to East Monument Street in Baltimore city based on an increase in demand and the need for more manufacturing space in 1928.
Goetze to Know The Generations Goetze’s gum production spanned three generations—August, William (1st Gen), and R. Melvin Sr. (2nd Gen)—before shifting its focus to caramel in 1942. The change was sparked by World War I shortages of chicle, a key gum ingredient. By World War II, R. Melvin Sr. and his father had been making caramel for over 20 years, laying the groundwork to fully transition the business to caramel confections.
Goetze to Know: THE GENERATIONS. Photos and labels from BALTIMORE CHEWING GUM CO.

About Goetze’s Candy Co., Inc.

Goetze’s Candy is a fifth generation, family-owned company located in downtown Baltimore, MD. Founded in 1895, we are celebrating 130 years of making sweet treats in the USA. Since the 1940’s, our staple product has been Caramel Creams®—a soft, chewy caramel wrapped around a decadent cream center—a tasty, iconic American treat. In 1984, Goetze’s Candy introduced Cow Tales®, an elongated version of the classic Caramel Creams.

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