Franklin Mars: Minnesota's Willy Wonka

Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth as we reveal the sugary saga behind the Franklin Mars family, the candy visionaries who turned Minnesota into a chocolate empire! 🍫🍭

✅ Listen to Franklin Mars: Minnesota’s Willy Wonka on our podcast. We release new episodes of Travel with Jack and Kitty every day! Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast app. 🎙️❤️

Quick Summary: Franklin Mars

Unwrap the sweet history of the Mars family, the candy visionaries from Minnesota.

Discover Franklin Mars, the man who gave us some of our favorite candies like Milky Way and Snickers.
Learn about his lavish lifestyle and Tennessee estate, Milky Way Farm.
Meet Forrest Mars Sr., the next gen candy king who made M&Ms an icon. 🍬

The Sweet Saga of Minnesota’s Candy Legacy

Hey there, it’s Kitty! 👋😺 Wondering why Jack and I are your go-to Midwest travel experts? Well, for over 20 years, we’ve been crisscrossing this beautiful region as traveling musicians and filmmakers. 🎤🎬 Born and raised in Minneapolis and now calling Winona, Minnesota home, we know the Midwest like the back of our hands. 🏠 And guess what? Our Midwest travel guidebooks are Amazon bestsellers! 📚 We also rock a daily podcast and a travel blog where we spill all the hidden gems of the Midwest. So if you’re looking for the inside scoop, you’ve come to the right place, darlings! 😘

Alright, time to spill the cocoa beans! Hehe. 🍫

Why do we call Franklin Mars Minnesota’s Willy Wonka? 🤔 Simple! This guy was a candy genius, turning Minnesota into a veritable Chocolate Factory. 🏭 From Snickers to Milky Way, he dreamt up candies that have us all feeling like kids in a, well, candy store! 🍭 He didn’t just create treats; he built an empire from scratch. And like the legendary Wonka, Franklin knew how to live large, complete with a lavish estate named after his own Milky Way bar. 🏰 Now that’s what I call a sweet life! 🌟

As a young man, Franklin Mars was inspired by his mother's love of chocolate. Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton. — *As a young man, Franklin Mars was inspired by his mother’s love of chocolate. Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton*.

The Man Who Started It All: Franklin Mars

Get ready for a sugar rush! Ever wondered where your fave Halloween candies like Snickers, Milky Way, or M&Ms come from? 🤔 Meet Franklin Mars, the real-life Willy Wonka of Minnesota. Born in 1883, Franklin got his early chocolate education from his mom while recovering from polio. By the age of 19, he was already selling molasses chips. How’s that for ambition?

Love played a big role in Franklin's life. Together with his second wife Ethel, he built Mars into a candy empire! Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton. — *Love played a big role in Franklin’s life. Together with his second wife Ethel, he built Mars into a candy empire! Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton*.

Love played a big part in his life too. Married to his first wife, Ethel G. Kissack, they had a son named Forrest in 1904. Fast-forward to 1920, Franklin and his second wife (also named Ethel, what are the odds? 😄) founded Mar-O-Bar Co. This eventually became Mars, Incorporated!

Funny to think that the Mars candy empire had it's humble beginnings right here in Minnesota! Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton. — *Funny to think that the Mars candy empire had it’s humble beginnings right here in Minnesota! Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton.*

The Candy That Took Over the World

But hey, the candy magic didn’t stop there. In 1923, Milky Way bars hit the shelves, thanks to an idea from his son Forrest. Then came the Snickers bar in 1930. Sweet, right? 😋

Franklin Mars spent his later life on an estate called Milky Way Farm in Pulaski, Tennessee. He raised race horses and even had a horse win the Kentucky Derby! Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton.

A Lavish Life and A Candy Estate

Franklin was all about the sweet life, literally! He even built an epic estate called Milky Way Farm in Tennessee. 🏰 We’re talking a 25,000 sq ft clubhouse, over 30 barns, and a horse racing track. He even had a horse win the Kentucky Derby! 🏇

A Final Resting Place with a Sweet View

When Franklin passed, he and his wife were initially buried on their Tennessee estate. Later, they were moved to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. 🌸 So next time you’re there, maybe drop a candy bar on his tombstone. It’s also the resting place of Tiny Tim, the ukulele-playing oddball who happened to be my hubby Jack’s babysitter. No, seriously. 😆

Forbes ranks Mars as the fourth-largest privately held company in the United States. The Mars family still owns the company which was founded in Minnesota by Franklin Mars. Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton.

The Next Gen Candy King: Forrest Mars Sr.

Forrest Mars Sr. was no slouch either. 🍬After getting degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and Yale, he joined the family biz. Although he had some disagreements with dad, he played a big role in creating Snickers and 3 Musketeers. Eventually, he branched out and even gave us Uncle Ben’s Rice and Pedigree pet food. 🐶

Forrest’s real masterpiece? M&Ms. These iconic candies were created in 1940 and they’ve been melting in our mouths, not in our hands, ever since! 🤤

Next time you're indulging in a Snickers bar, remember, you're playing a part in a family-run empire that started with a candy lovin' guy from Minnesota and his chocolate-dipping mom. How sweet is that? Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton. — Next time you’re indulging in a Snickers bar, remember, you’re playing a part in a family-run empire that started with a candy lovin’ guy from Minnesota and his chocolate-dipping mom. How sweet is that? Digital artwork by Jack and Kitty Norton.

Keeping it All in the Family

Forrest eventually merged his company with Mars, Inc., turning it into a giant family-run empire. 🏠 Today, Mars, Incorporated is not just about candy; they’re into pet food and animal care too. In 2022, they raked in $45 billion in annual sales. Yep, that’s B for billion! 💰

So next time you munch on a Snickers or feed your pup some Pedigree, remember, you’re a part of a delicious history that started with a candy-loving guy from Minnesota and his chocolate-dipping mom. How sweet is that? 🍭

✅ Don’t miss out! Listen to today’s podcast episode, Franklin Mars: Minnesota’s Willy Wonka – where we go even deeper into this story. Remember, we release new episodes of Travel with Jack and Kitty every day! Subscribe on your favorite podcast app. 🎙️❤️