A number of candy companies have called Colorado home over the years. There was Brecht Candy Company (long-gone), and the likes of Hammond’s and Enstrom Candies that still satisfy folks today. But the most famous has to be Jolly Rancher Candies, even though it’s no longer made here in Golden, Colorado.
Before Jolly Rancher
Dorothy and Bill Harmsen moved to Colorado from Minnesota in 1942. Bill was a pilot for Continental Airlines, but he dreamed of owning his own business. The couple bought the old Johnston farm in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, about six miles east of Golden. Dorothy entered the fruit and flower business, growing gladiolas, peonies, raspberries, and strawberries, which she delivered to Denver. Later, the Harmsens also set up a woodworking shop in their barn, where they made doll beds and cocktail trays. And then they tried their hand at ice cream.
It all started in Golden
Bill and Dorothy Harmsen serving ice cream at their very first store in Golden, Colorado. Photo: Golden History Museum & Park, City of Golden Collection.
Dorothy and Bill Harmsen opened their first Jolly Rancher Ice Cream Store in Golden, Colorado, on May 28, 1949. The retail ice cream store was located under the “Howdy Folks” arch on Washington Avenue. They chose the name Jolly Rancher because Rancher gave the store a western aura and Jolly suggested a friendly atmosphere. After the first summer, the couple had more liabilities than assets. Rainy weather and insufficient ice cream manufacturing equipment haunted the enterprise. In order to get through the upcoming winter months, they added a line of bulk and boxed chocolates, which initially came from a small candy firm in Denver.
This proved a perfect combination as business prospered, and soon they even opened a number of franchises in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The original Golden store was sold in 1951, but the Harmsens were still supplying chocolates to their franchises. Candy sales exceeded their expectations and soon outgrew supply. At the same time requests for their five-cent hot cinnamon taffy stick, better known today as Fire Stix (the recipe was developed by the Harmsens while in Golden) became so numerous they realized a new opportunity.
Bob Cormack, a former Walt Disney artist, designed most of Jolly Rancher’s packaging throughout the 1950-60s. Photo: Golden History Museum & Park, City of Golden Collection.
The next chapter
They pulled out old horse stalls in their big barn and within several months set up a full-scale candy manufacturing operation. A candy maker was hired and they rechristened their home Sugar Bar Ranch. With this company motto, the company prospered: Jolly Rancher is the only candy guaranteed to be positively superior to any other you have ever eaten!
Over the years, the Jolly Rancher plant went through numerous remodels and expansions, until it was a full-fledged plant. In 1966, Jolly Rancher merged with Beatrice Foods Company of Chicago. At the time of the merger, the plant was operating two shifts with about 250 employees. Production was nearly 125,000 pounds of candy per day! Leaf Brands purchased Beatrice Foods in 1983, which was subsequently bought by the Hershey Company in 1997. The Wheat Ridge production plant at 5060 Ward Road closed for good in 2002. The candies are now manufactured in Canada.
See more artifacts
Peruse our online collection to see more Jolly Rancher items, including two bound volumes of Sugar ‘N Spice, the company’s monthly newsletter edited by Dorothy Harmsen.
Looking to buy Jolly Ranchers?
Jolly Ranchers are available for purchase directly from the manufacturer, Hershey.
I want to find out if I can order the hard candy and have it shipped. It would also be a good thing to bring the candy plant back to the US.
They also had a caramel stix back in the early 80’s, what happened to it,can’t find anything about.
When and if are cinnomon jolly ranchers coming back.
Just heard that the fire stick have been discontinued, what a shame my 85 yr old mom is devastated she can tell the difference with other cinnamon candy
They were brought back by popular demand
They had a caramel stix back in the early 80’s,when looking for it I can’t find any thing about it on this site or any other place,
So my question is,
What happen to it.
Are you thinking of the SloPoke sucker or the Bkack Cow?
Nope I remember Carmel one I used to get at lake store it was just right combo not hard like candy sticks but just hard enough to last in cheap wrapper like the rest but great flavor I hear there’s a actually black licorice one that I gotta look up
The current Cinnamon Fire candy is nothing like the original (way spicier). The closest thing I’ve found is Fireball whiskey.
I’ve searched for at least an hour to see any proof that the jolly rancher caramel stick ever existed….I use to buy them from our hardware store in the 80’s (and they had every flavor 10 cents and at school I would sell ’em to other kids…it’s just weird
That was Russell Stover, not Jolly Rancher. We used to make special trips to the store to pick them up for Christmas.
Was the fruit flavored Jolly Rancher candy once shaped in a 5 or 6-inch long, inch-wide, nearly flat bar?
Hi Chris-
Yes, I vaguely recall their long, flat, hard candies. Anyone else remember those?
Yes, I remember the “Fire Stix” flat candy. A friend and myself, use to square dance at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Afterwards, we each received a “ Fire Stix”.
Yes. They sold the apple and watermelon flavored ones at my school store. .05 for one stick. That was a long time ago, 45 years ago.
Thanks so much for sharing that memory!
Yes they were called Stix
Do they still make Lemon jolly ranchers?
I am searching for jolly ranchers crunch and chews
Candy. What happened none anywhere. When will they make more, I’m addicted?
Has anyone noticed that the watermelon jolly ranchers are not as tasty as they used to be? The flavor seems like it’s been diluted.
They used to have a Caramel and Butterscotch flavor. I liked those the best. I used to pay a Nickel for them at Ben Franklin in the late 60’s/early 70’s. I wish they would bring them back.
Do you mean the caramel apple stix?
Hi there! Do you still make just the bar like Jolly Ranchers? If so, where can I purchase a variety of flavors? Thank you!
Jolly Ranchers are available for purchase directly from the manufacturer, Hershey.
We need fire sticks! I have tried them all, no other cinnamon candy can compare to the fire stick flavor!
In the 1970’s they made my favorite flavor of Jolly Rancher, Cola flavored. They tasted like Coca Cola.