Tuesday, March 4
6-7 pm
Cambridge Public Library — O’Connell Branch
48 6th Street, East Cambridge
Free; please register!

You’re invited to this special event with History Cambridge’s Beth Folsom and historian Caitlin Hopkins.

The local candy-making industry goes back to the 1760s, when an Irish immigrant named John Hannon built a chocolate mill on the Neponset River in Dorchester. For over 250 years, Cambridge was a confectionary hub, boasting over 60 candy producers at its peak in the mid-20th century. The story of candy-making (and candy-eating) here is a complex one whose origins include the rise of industrialization, immigration, and the legacy of slavery both in Massachusetts and in the Caribbean. This program will explore several centuries of candy history, focusing on the people who worked in the candy industry, and those who have consumed and enjoyed it over the decades.

This event is free, but registration is appreciated for planning purposes!