Baker’s Chocolate: America’s First Chocolate Company Since 1764
In 1765, John Hannon and physician Dr. James Baker started importing cocoa beans and producing chocolate in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester, Massachusetts, making them the first company to produce chocolate in the country. After Hannon never returned from a 1779 sailing trip to the West Indies to purchase cocoa beans, his wife Elizabeth Gore Hannon sold the company to James Baker in 1780. The Irishman John Hannon was penniless but was a skilled chocolatier, a craft which he had learned in England and which was, until that point, exclusive to Europe.
This makes it even older than Xocolata Jolonch, founded in 1770, which often claims to be the oldest chocolate company in the world. The company introduced drinking chocolate to America at a time when sweetened chocolate bars had not yet been invented. Production was limited to one kind of chocolate until 1852, when employee Samuel German created “German’s Sweet Chocolate” that had a higher sugar content than previous baking chocolates, and the first sweetened bar was introduced in 1849. Baker’s is now owned by Kraft Heinz, a company formed by the merger between Kraft Foods and Heinz.
Tabasco Sauce: Born From Civil War Ashes in 1868
According to the company’s official history, Tabasco was first produced in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny, a Maryland-born former banker who had moved to Louisiana around 1840. When Edmund McIlhenny and his wife Mary Eliza first settled Avery Island, Louisiana, in 1859, he realized that the foundation of basically the entire island was salt. During the Civil War, salt was in seriously short supply, so he made a mint harvesting it and selling it to the Confederates. His entire operation was ransacked by the Union army, but when McIlhenny inspected his land after the war was over, he noticed something growing from the ground: a tabasco pepper.
By 1869 Mcllhenny received thousands of orders for the sauce at $1.00 a bottle. In 1872, Mcllhenny established a London office to meet the heavy demands of the European market for Tabasco sauce. The Tabasco bottle is still modeled after the cologne-style bottles used for the first batch of sauce in 1868. To distribute his, Edmund McIlhenny initially obtained unused cologne bottles from a New Orleans glass supplier. The sauce remains largely unchanged in recipe and production, with peppers still aged in white oak barrels.
Pillsbury: From Flour Mill to Doughboy Fame Since 1869
Pillsbury had humble origins, starting as a simple flour mill on the banks of the Mississippi River, Minneapolis. Charles A. Pillsbury bought into the mill in 1869 and decked it out with the latest technology. Within 20 years, it was one of the largest, most successful mills in the world. Charles Alfred Pillsbury founded C.A. Pillsbury and Company along with his uncle, John S. Pillsbury, in Minneapolis in 1872. Pillsbury was the second company in the United States to use steel rollers for grain processing, and because the finished product needed to be transported, the Pillsburys were actually a primary funder of railroad development in Minnesota.
It wasn’t until 1965 that Americans got to meet the company’s famous mascot, Pillsbury’s iconic Doughboy. Copywriter Rudy Perz from the Leo Burnett ad agency thought up Poppin’ Fresh (the Doughboy’s full name) to market the company’s ready-made dough. These days, Pillsbury is known not just for its flour, but also for being a cooking and lifestyle brand. It sells dough for biscuits, rolls, cookies, brownies, bread, pie crusts and pizza. The company pioneered profit-sharing for employees long before it became common practice.
Heinz: Starting With Horseradish in 1869
Believe it or not, 25-year-old Henry Heinz got his start making horseradish sauce. In 1869, Heinz was living with his parents, growing the pungent plant in the garden and following his mother’s recipe to make the condiment. The final product was different from other sauces on the market because it came in a clear bottle displaying its high-quality ingredients; other companies used brown bottles to disguise theirs.
Next came pickles, vinegar, tomato ketchup (then called catsup), sweet pickle, and many more condiments – including Heinz Baked Beans, which were first sold in the US in 1895. By 1896, the brand had already sold over 60 different products. Believe it or not, Heinz didn’t get its start with ketchup – the company started out producng horseradish. Fast forward to 1876, and the red stuff would follow, changing burgers and marinades forever. The company’s commitment to clear packaging and quality ingredients set it apart from competitors who often used inferior materials.
Folgers Coffee: Gold Rush Origins in 1850
Before 1850, if San Franciscans wanted to make their own coffee they had to purchase green coffee beans, roast them, and grind them themselves. This all changed that year when William H. Bovee, the owner of the Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, built a mill that allowed him to sell pre-roasted, ground coffee. To help build his mill, Bovee hired a carpenter named James A. Folger. After working at the mill for a year, Folger set off to mine for gold and brought coffee samples with him, which he gave to grocery stores he encountered along the way.
Folger returned to San Francisco in 1865 and became a full partner, going on to buy out the other partners and rename the company J.A. Folger & Co. in 1872. The company revolutionized coffee consumption by making it convenient for home preparation. Before Folgers, coffee preparation was a laborious process requiring multiple steps. That’s relatively young in comparison, but it’s still a hundred years old. Their success helped establish San Francisco as a major coffee trading hub on the West Coast.
Campbell’s Soup: Condensing Success Since 1869
The combined revenue of all its products came to $9.4 billion (£7.4bn) in 2023. However, thanks to its 150-year history – and perhaps with a little bit of help from Andy Warhol – the company will forever be known for its range of canned soups. Campbell’s revolutionized food preservation and convenience with their condensed soup format. The company’s approach meant consumers could store soup longer and prepare it quickly by adding water.
Their iconic red and white label design became so famous that artist Andy Warhol immortalized it in his pop art series. The consistency of their branding over decades helped establish Campbell’s as a household name. During World War II, their soups became essential provisions both on the home front and for military rations. The company expanded far beyond soup to include crackers, beverages, and other processed foods while maintaining their soup legacy.
Quaker Oats: Revolutionary Branding Since 1877
It featured then, and still features today, the image of a Quaker person in traditional dress. Quakers are a movement within the Protestant denomination of Christianity, and they’re known for being honest and hardworking. Quaker oats was one of the first trademarked American breakfast cereals, trademarked in 1877, without any changes to the product or the packaging. In 1891, Quaker became the first company to put a recipe on a cereal box. In 1915, the brand introduced its eye-catching round containers. Seven years later, Quaker Quick Oats hit the market – and Quaker Instant Oatmeal appeared in 1966.
In 2001, PepsiCo purchased Quaker Oats for $14 billion (£11bn). Rumour has it that the company was happy to spend this much money because it meant it’d also earn the rights to make the hugely popular sports drink Gatorade – a brand that was owned by Quaker at the time. Still, PepsiCo can’t complain; Quaker Oats brought in revenue of $3.8 billion (£3bn) in 2023, more than 140 years after it was founded. The Quaker brand image became one of America’s first successful marketing symbols, representing trust and quality long before modern advertising techniques existed.
These seven brands represent more than just food companies – they’re living pieces of American history. Their survival through economic downturns, world wars, and changing consumer preferences demonstrates the power of adaptation while staying true to core values. What’s remarkable is how these companies maintained their essential character while embracing new technologies and markets. From Baker’s chocolate surviving the transition from drinking chocolate to baking products, to Tabasco maintaining its original recipe while expanding globally, these brands prove that longevity comes from balancing tradition with innovation. What other century-old brands do you think deserve recognition for their staying power?
