Former Candy Manufacturer in Utah destroyed by fire in 2006

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In its early beginnings in Utah, the first candy was made of sorghum molasses derived from sugar cane as pioneer attempts to produce sugar from sugar beets proved unsuccessful. Mormon church leaders, in keeping with their policy of maintaining self-sufficient communities, imported sugar-making machinery from France during the 1850's. Often crucial pieces of machinery and instructions were missing and because local people were not sufficiently trained in operating and repairing the machinery, production from the imported machinery was very limited. The early pioneers therefore hauled sugar into the territory by ox team before the coming of the railroad in 1869.

After 1869 it became easier to import cane sugar, sugar and candy-making machinery. As the market as well as for candy grew and the feasibility of producing candy from local sugar beets was proven, the possibility of making candy for export became apparent. Several small candy-making companies, producing what was known as "hard-boiled" candy (stick candy and drops), were established near the close of the 19^th century. Among these was the business begun in 1899 by Daniel W. Shupe and William H. Williams, who started with an initial combined investment of $1,000.

Shortly thereafter the J. G. McDonald Chocolate Company, a world-famous and award-winning dandy manufacturer in Salt Lake City, purchased the Shupe-Williams Candy Company. Shupe and Williams were made officers of the McDonald Candy Company and during their employment with McDonald gained valuable knowledge and experience concerning the candy-making business. After several years Shupe and Williams repurchased their company from McDonald and reestablished their firm in Ogden, Utah.

Frederick Williams, younger brother of William H. Williams, became involved with the company in 1898. On July 4^th, 1904, Daniel Shupe was killed in an accident and the candy company became a Williams family enterprise.

The company was well-known throughout the candy world for the firm made not only bar, boxed, and bag candies but also bulk candy for wholesale trade. In addition, the company was a jobber for a large group of nationally known candies. The Shupe-Willimas Candy Company was so successful that expansion made it necessary to move three times before settling into the building at 26^th and Wall Avenue built in 1906.

The factory represented the efforts made by the Shupe-Williams Company to design a largely self-sufficient building. It was a combined warehouse, candy factory, and office building. It manufactured its own boxes, had its own peanut roaster, and generated its own electricity, power, light, and cold storage. A railroad spur ran directly behind the new building, providing easy access to the shipping lines located one half-block north of the building.

After William H. Williams died in 1926, the candy was produced under the "Preferred" label by Frederick Williams and the company enjoyed continued success throughout the Western United States.

The Shupe Williams Candy Company remained at its location at 26^th and Wall Avenue until the company disbanded in 1967.

The building was designed by prominent Ogden architect Leslie Hodgson, who received his architectural training in the office of Samuel C. Dallas and later continued under Richard K. A. Kletting. He was a classically oriented-designer early in his career, and later went on to pioneer the Prairie Style in Utah and was the only architect to use the Art Deco Style in a major way in the state.

He designed important private homes such as the Eccles and Bristol residences and many of the large buildings and warehouses of northern Utah. These include the Scowcroft Company Warehouse, Shupe-Williams Candy Company, and state and public buildings such as the Ogden Municipal Building, United States Forest Service Building and Ogden High School.

On the night of March 11^th, 2006 residents of Ogden, Utah, watched as the factory burned to the ground. The next morning, a wrecking ball demolished what was left of the century-old Shupe-Williams Candy Factory, located downtown. No one was hurt in the blaze, which also damaged several rail cars stored behind the factory.

In 2005 the city, which owned the building, announced its plans to demolish it.

The city was negotiating with the newly formed Ogden-Weber Museum, Inc., which was interested in using the factory as a museum dedicated to local history.

Building Description

The Shupe-Williams Candy Company is a four-story plus basement brick factory, warehouse, and office building. The structure is box-like in form and has three truncated towers, two of which are located at each corner of the front facade.

The fancy cornices of the towers have been removed. They were Originally composed of a series of crown moldings and closely spaced decorative brackets with a molded frieze.

The windows throughout the building have segmentally arched bays which contain 2/2 operable sashes. Large tripartite fixed-sash transom windows are located on the first floor. Two rows of wooden posts support heavy timber beams throughout the building. The ceiling-to-floor measurements are 16', 16', 16', and 12' consecutively beginning with the first floor. The basement was used for storage, the first floor served as a warehouse, the second floor was for chocolate manufacturing and packaging and the third and fourth floors were the actual candy factory.

A four-story addition which runs alongside the length of the south side of the original structure was made shortly after initial construction and has floor-to-ceiling measurements of 20', 16', 12', and 12', beginning with the first floor. It provided box and paper storage and space for the steam-heated kettles necessary for candy production. This addition closely resembled the original building in style.

Two smaller one-story additions were made at the southwest corner of the rear of the building. The first addition was a power room containing four steam electric generators and a sixteen-ton electric ice machine.

The front facade is symmetrical with a thin, molded cornice projecting from a ten-foot parapet wall. There are quoins at the corners of the truncated towers. The front facade of the addition has an additional cornice band running below the fourth-story windows. These windows are 2/2 operable sash types and are contained within rectangular bays. The top cornice is molded and moderately projecting, and there are no quoins at the corners.

(1977)

(1977)