Salt Water Taffy (again)

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 1/16/03 12:21:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, Bapopik at AOL.COM
writes (inter alia):

> CONFECTIONERY TRADE-MARKS
>  compiled by MIDA'S TRADE-MARK BUREAU, Chicago
>  Chicago: The Criterion Publishing Co.
>  1910
>
>     Here are some entries (*Indicates Registered Brand):
>
>  Pg. 8:
>  *Atlantic City, The original...Taffy...Wendle W. Hollis...Providence, R. I.
>  (Providence?--ed.)
>
>  Pg. 74:
>  *Salt Water...Taffy...Wendele W. Hollis...Providence, R. I.

Barry, tell your friend Ed not to be surprised.

from URL http://www.virtualnjshore.com/tbswtaffy.html
<Begin quote>
It appears the first taffy made and sold in Atlantic City called 'Salt Water
Taffy' was more gimmick than anything else. One legend has it that a taffy
vendor named David Bradley jokingly referred to the candy as "salt water
taffy" after sea water soaked his supply of the candy in an 1883 summer
storm.

Although many people believe Bradley invented the candy, no one really knows
who was responsible for it's recipe. Another legend says it was created by
the Ritchie Brothers and Windle Hollis in 1880. Taffy historians claim that
the candy was being sold at Midwest county fairs that same year, but the
Ritchie Brothers and Hollis were the first to make the candy in Atlantic
City. So they may or may not have been the candy's original true creators.
<end quote>

from the Fralinger's Web site http://www.fralingers.com/his_forward.htm
<begin quote>
The year 1889 saw the first mention of Salt Water Taffy in the Atlantic City
Directory, "Hollis Windle W., Original Salt Water Taffy, Boardwalk near
Arkansas Avenue." Salt Water Taffy was not again listed until the 1899
Atlantic City Directory, when forty-two 'Confectioners' were listed. Only
John Cassidy and Joseph Fralinger are associated with Salt Water Taffy from
the names shown. The city was growing rapidly and Salt Water Taffy was
becoming a household word.
<end quote>

It is therefore possible that Windle (or Wendele) Hollis moved his candy
business from Atlantic City to Providence sometime between 1889 and
1910---this may explain why he does not seem to appear in the 1899 Atlantic
City Directory.

What is confusing is that Hollis has a "registered brand" on "salt water
taffy".

        - James A. Landau
          systems engineer
          FAA Technical Center (ACB-510/BCI)
          Atlantic City Int'l Airport NJ 08405 USA