The
Oh Henry Bar is a straightforward, delicious candy bar with a somewhat complicated history. As opposed to Snickers that was named after Forrest Mars' beloved racehorse, no one is 100% certain where the name for Oh Henry came from.
Theories abound but one thing that almost everyone agrees upon is that this is a delicious candy bar and has been for close to 100 years. And no, this candy bar is not named after the baseball great Hank Aaron.
Spark your curiosity? Read on…
Lore has it that the name was derived from that of a randy young man who made frequents visits to the original manufacturers – the Williamson company – less for sugary sweets and more to flirt with the eye candy who worked on the assembly line. This leaves us to assume that the young man’s name was -- you guessed it -- Henry. But certain proof eludes us.
Perhaps a more credible theory is that the candy bar was named after the owner of the now defunct Peerless Candy company. The owner's name was Tom Henry and in a vainglorious move, created the Tom Henry Bar. It was a short-lived venture as he sold the rights to the candy bar in 1920 to the Williamson Candy who changed the name to Oh Henry.
Oh Henry was also one of the first examples of “guerilla marketing” as an employee of Williamson Candy Company was determined to make the Oh Henry Bar famous. Lacking the funds to launch a full frontal Madison Avenue advertising campaign, this wily salesman had bumper stickers printed with only two words – Oh Henry. Curiousity didn’t kill the cat and this candy bar quickly made a name for itself.
The candy bar is also sold in Canada but distributed by Hershey with the difference being a "chocolately" coating as opposed to milk chocolate.
Things remained much the same for close to 65 years until 1984, when
Nestle acquired the rights to distribute Oh Henry in the United States but, alas, not everything lasts forever.
In 2018, Nestle sold the rights to Ferrara Pan and the candy bar has curiously disappared from the shelves. As of October 2019, it has not been confirmed that these beloved candy icon has been discontinued. Stay tuned...
I’ve loved OhHenry’s since I was a child and are still my favorite 80 years later! Now, it’s become a very special gift whenever my friends and family can find them !
I lived in Kansas for 29 years and had a place in Oklahoma on the mouth of the Caney river. Our couple times a month trek took us right by the aforementioned candy store in Dexter, Ks. We have been there many many times and always left with a sack full of candy and enjoyed hanging around for a bit watching them make the candies. The story of the Oh! Henry candy bar and it’s history is posted there, or at least it was. I moved from there 8 years ago but have told my wife about that place probably a 100 times or more!! Gonna take her out there one day just to go there!!
During WW2 Canadian soldiers based in the village of Betchworth in Surrey, England used to give Oh Henry bars to us children. There were no sweets in the shops, so this little bite of Canada was to us children a taste of heaven. My next one was 70 years later when I was visiting Vancouver. It was just as good.
I live in Manhattan and there was a store on the UES who still sold my favorite candy bar. Alas, they just sold the last one and tell me they can no longer order them. That helps my waistline but not my happiness.
Leora’s version is the correct story, with a twist. A travelling sales team was selling the candy from the trunk of their car along with Tootsie rolls and pops. On a long stretch of highway they lamented the fact the name was a bit stale. Suddenly one of the passengers exclaimed, “who just farted in this car?” Oh, Henry was the response, and Eureka! A legend was born!