Everyone remembers the famous 1980s early afternoon) he was free to spend In 1912, Peter Paul opened a third the shelves dominated by a few huge ad campaign by candy giant Peter Paul, time on other activities. An ambitious shop, his second in Naugatuck. Around corporations. Inc., “Sometimes you feel like a nut, and enterprising man, he dreamed of this time Cal Kazanjian, Paul’s brother-in- From those first days grew a PETER sometimes you don’t,” which referred to being self-employed and began operating law, became associated with the business. philosophy that guided The Peter Paul the company’s two most popular a fruit and candy business with his two Cal had come to the United States from Manufacturing Company to quickly pros - candies, Mounds and Almond Joy. By daughters, May and Lillian. Halajian and Armenia with his father, a Congregational per and continually expand, separating the 1980s, Peter Paul, Inc. was a giant in the girls would sell their homemade minister, a decade before. Cal became them from the thousands of failed firms: PAUL’S the industry, with annual net sales sweets door-to-door around Naugatuck increasingly involved in the business as a Give customers fresh, quality candy and topping $70 million. It had come a long and to commuters at the train stations up worsening arthritic condition limited top value for their money. These core way from its humble beginnings as a and down the Naugatuck Valley. The Paul’s personal attention at the shops. values allowed the company to survive small-town confectionery shop in demand for his products spread as he The small chain of sweets shops the ruthless candy competition of the PATH TO Nau gatuck, Connecticut. How that shop gained a reputation for supplying quality prospered through World War I, and Paul 1920s. Even more remarkably, while evolved into a nationally prominent sweets. After five years, he achieved his and Kazanjian dreamed of expanding the thousands of small businesses were corporation, weathered the Great dream of being a business owner. On operation beyond small-town candy closing their doors or cutting quality in SWEET Depression, and endured the supply February 1, 1895 he opened a candy and kitchens. During the war, the U.S. Army the 1930s, Peter Paul prospered beyond shortages of World War II to become the ice-cream shop on Water Street in commissioned various American candy even its founders’ sweetest dreams. manufacturer of some of the best- Naugatuck, not far from the bustling rub - manufacturers to provide chocolate for the All of the original founders and first known candy bars in the world is a ber factories and the town center. doughboys in Europe. As a high-energy stockholders were, like Paul and SUCCESS genuine American-dream story. Halajian sold a variety of items including food that would last for long periods of Kazanjian, Armenian immigrants. The story begins with the confections lemon drops, peanut brittle, licorice, time in the trenches, chocolate bars During the late 19th and early 20th cen - By Gregg Pugliese of Peter Halajian. Born in Armenia in various chocolates, caramels, and assorted became a comforting staple. The troops turies, thousands of Armenians came to All images from the collection of the Museum of Connecticut History 1864, he came to the United States in ice-cream flavors. His sweets were a eventually returned home, and, as the United States to escape persecution 1890 and began working in one of delicious sensation, and within a short civilians, wanted more of the same. The and horror in their native land. Even as Naugatuck’s thriving rubber factories. time he opened a second shop, this one in American candy-bar business was assured, their country was part of the multi- His job was flexible enough that once he Torrington, where his brother lived. and the two enterprising men wanted to national Ottoman Empire, the Armenian reached his quota for the day (often by Because customers found it hard to pro - become part of the emerging industry. people were determined to maintain their nounce his Armenian surname, Halajian Their dreams, however, would take the own traditions. Christians in a mostly legally changed it to the English equiva - ambitions, and the money, of more than Muslim state, the Armenians became lent, Paul. Around the turn of the century, just two men. In 1919 they convinced targets of physical extermination by he began advertising, using clever slogans four other close friends and relatives to their Turkish rulers. Violence and forced in local newspaper ads and distributing pool their resources and go into the candy deportations caused thousands to handbills to potential customers. business on a much larger scal e. emigrate to the United States. Many Their firm was estab - came to Connecticut for education and lished as the Peter Paul job opportunities, carving out small Manufacturing Company. ethnic enclaves in Hartford, New Haven, According to the National Bridgeport, and throughout the Confectioners Association, Naugatuck Valley. it was one of an estimated The six founders of The Peter Paul 6,000 candy companies Manufacturing Company were a tight- that began production knit group, and the company would between the World Wars. retain a family atmosphere throughout its Since that time, tens of history. Paul became the company’s first thousands of candy-bar above: Charcoal gum box top. During World War II, Peter varieties have been Gregg Pugliese teaches history, political Paul stepped up production of charcoal gum, which required introduced in the United science, and economics at John F. Kennedy little sugar and no coconut. High School in Waterbury. He would like to States. Today, fewer than left: Peter Halajian legally changed his name to Peter Paul thank his family and the wonderful people around 1895 when he opened his second candy store, 300 companies manufac - at the Naugatuck Historical Society for all c. 1910. ture the vast majority of of their help. Newcomen Society in North America program, 1971 Cream Mints tin, c. 1935 candy in the America, with CT Explored / 22 CT Explored / 23 Connecticut Explored Vol.8 No. 2 SPRING 2010 COPYRIGHT 2010 by CONNECTICUT EXPLORED. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted without permission of the publisher. president; George Shamlian, a former The owners, however, knew that to Commerce, agreed to make the loan, and chemist with Naugatuck Chemical, became succeed in the long run, they needed to the company moved to Naugatuck, where it vice president, and Kazanjian became differentiate themselves from the competi - had its roots with Paul’s original candy shop. secretary/treasurer. Kazanjian would also tion. They hired Harry Tatigian, an On a spacious hillside on the road to be responsible for setting up a sales organi - experienced candy maker from Bridgeport, to Bethany, away from the grimy industrial zation of commission brokers; finding help develop some unique products to set The heart of the rubber factories, the company retailers willing to sell the products of a new Peter Paul Manufacturing Company apart. erected a new plant for $35,000 in 1922 and company was a daunting task. Cal’s cousin The first really distinctive product the faced the future with a renewed sense of Artin Kazanjian and Jacob Chouljian company produced was the Konabar, a optimism. The thriving company also became foremen of operations, and chocolate-covered blend of coconut, nuts, broadened its line to include new items such and fruit. The new prod - as the Smile-Awhile (a peanut roll with a uct was a relative success, caramel center), Bachelor Bars (featuring but nobody could have sesame seeds), Thin Mints, and after-dinner imagined the changes mints. The expansion quickly paid off; it that were coming. took the company only two years to repay The product that the loan in full, with interest. would make Peter Paul a In 1927, Peter Paul, who had been in household name was poor health for some time, died, and Cal the Mounds candy bar, Kazanjian was named president. He would introduced in 1921 with remain in that position until his own death the same combination of in 1948, leading the company through the snowy-white coconut Great Depression and the challenges of and dark chocolate we dealing with shortages of raw materials enjoy to this day. during World War II. Developed by Shamlian In 1929 the company made its first left: Cal Kazanjian, one of the original founders of Peter Paul, Inc., c. 1940. and Tatigian, it was an acquisition, purchasing J. N. Collins Company, He became company president in 1927 after Paul died and led the company instant sensation and a caramel business operating in Minneapolis through the Depression and World War II. would remain the com - and Philadelphia. The Peter Paul right: George Shamlian, a chemist and one of the six original founders, is credited with developing the Mounds bar in 1921, c. 1950. pany’s best-selling and Manufacturing Company then officially most popular product became Peter Paul, Inc. Newcomen Society in North America program, 1971 throughout its long The popularity of the Mounds bar Chouljian’s cousin Jacob Hagopian became history. Mounds was such a success that continued to grow throughout the 1920s, assistant treasurer. Chouljian would later production could barely keep up with and Peter Paul, Inc. found itself competing marry one of Cal Kazanjian’s sisters, demand, especially since the work was so with some of the most famous names in the strengthening the feeling of family in the tedious. Each bar was individually rolled, business. Nationally, the biggest competition Advertisement company. These six men risked a total of flattened, shaped, dipped in chocolate, and came from three bars introduced around the for Mounds, $6,000 (roughly $66,000 today) on opening wrapped in foil, all by hand.