Sweet Beginnings
In the busy streets of Chicago in 1891, a young man named William Wrigley Jr. stepped off a train. He had only $32 in his pocket and a big dream.
William was just 29 years old. He had learned about selling things from his dad, who made soap. Now he wanted to start his own business in the big city.
"I can do this," William said to himself as he looked at the tall buildings. He started selling soap from door to door. He carried heavy boxes up and down streets every day. It wasn't easy, but William never gave up.
To make people want to buy his soap, William had a clever idea. He would give away free gifts! When someone bought his soap, they got a free can of baking powder.
But something funny happened. People liked the baking powder more than the soap! William noticed this and thought, "Maybe I should sell baking powder instead!"
A Smart Switch
William was good at listening to what people wanted. He switched from selling soap to selling baking powder. Now, when someone bought baking powder, they got a special treat – two packs of chewing gum!
One day, a store owner told William, "My customers love your gum more than the baking powder!"
William's eyes got big. He had another great idea. "What if I sold the gum instead?"
He started working harder than ever. Every morning, he would:
- Wake up early
- Walk the city streets
- Talk to store owners
- Learn what flavors people liked
- Write down new ideas
William's father had taught him something important: "Always give people more than they expect." He remembered these words as he worked to make his gum better and better.
The First Big Step
At night, William would sit at his small desk. He would count the money he made and plan for tomorrow. He wrote in his notebook: "People smile when they chew gum. I want to make more people smile."
The streets of Chicago were filled with other people selling things too. But William was different. He was friendly, and he always told the truth about what he was selling. Store owners started to trust him.
Every week, more people bought William's products. He moved from his tiny room to a small office. He hired his first helper, then another, and another. His dream was starting to grow.
Little did William know that his simple switch from soap to gum would change so many lives. He didn't just want to sell gum – he wanted to make people happy. And that's exactly what he was doing, one piece of gum at a time.
The busy streets of Chicago had welcomed a dreamer, and that dreamer was just getting started. William Wrigley Jr. was about to make something much bigger than he ever imagined.
A Sweet Discovery
The year was 1892, and William Wrigley Jr. was excited! His baking powder business was doing well, but something amazing was about to happen.
“The customers keep asking for more gum,” said Tom, one of William’s store friends. “They don’t even care about the baking powder anymore!”
William smiled and thought hard. He remembered how his dad always said, “Listen to what people want.” The people wanted gum!
The Big Change
William made a brave choice. He would stop selling soap and baking powder. Now, he would only sell gum! But he wanted his gum to be special.
“What’s your favorite flavor?” he would ask everyone he met. He wrote down all their answers in his little notebook.
After trying many different flavors, William created two special kinds of gum:
- Juicy Fruit – sweet and fruity
- Spearmint – fresh and minty
Making People Happy
People loved William’s new gum! It tasted better and lasted longer than other gum. Kids would save their pennies to buy it. Parents enjoyed it too!
“Your gum makes everyone smile,” said Mary, a candy store owner. “Even on rainy days!” ☔
William worked hard to make his gum perfect. He bought the best ingredients. He made sure each piece was wrapped just right. He wanted everything to be perfect. ✨
Growing Bigger
Soon, William needed a bigger place to make his gum. He built a special factory just for making Wrigley’s gum. The workers there were happy because William was a kind boss.
“We’re like one big family,” William would say. “And families help each other do great things!”
Every morning, the sweet smell of gum filled the air around the factory. People walking by would smile, knowing something wonderful was being made inside.
William’s Rules for Success:
“Make it good
Make it fun
Make people happy”
William’s little company was growing fast. Stores all over Chicago wanted to sell his gum. Then stores in other cities started calling too!
But the best part? People weren’t just buying gum – they were sharing happiness. Friends would share pieces at school. Workers would share them at lunch. Even grandparents kept some in their pockets for their grandkids.
William looked at his factory one evening and smiled. He had started with just $32 and a dream. Now he was making millions of people happy with his sweet creation. And this was just the beginning of his amazing story.
Making Gum Famous
William Wrigley Jr. had a big idea! He wanted everyone in America to try his yummy gum. But how could he tell them about it?
Bright Ideas
“People need to see our gum everywhere!” William told his team. He had some super clever plans:
- Put big, colorful signs on buildings
- Send free gum to mailboxes
- Paint pretty pictures on store windows
- Make fun radio songs about gum
One day, William looked up at the sky and had an amazing idea. “Let’s put our name in lights – really big lights!”
Making Friends Everywhere
William traveled all over America to meet store owners. He always brought lots of free gum to share.
“Try this,” he would say with a friendly smile. “It’s the freshest gum you’ll ever taste!”
Store owners loved meeting William. He wasn’t just selling gum – he was making friends!
New Flavors, New Fun
William and his team worked hard to make new kinds of gum. They tried lots of different flavors:
“Double Mint made people smile twice as much!
P.K. became everyone’s favorite after-dinner treat!”
Each new flavor got its own special wrapper with bright colors. Kids started collecting them!
The Big Sign
In 1921, William did something amazing. He put up the biggest, brightest sign anyone had ever seen in Times Square, New York! ✨
“Wow!” said people walking by. “Look at those pretty lights!”
The sign was six stories tall and had thousands of lights. It showed a big spear of mint dropping into a glass of water. Splash!
The Sign Made History:
“It lit up the whole street
People came just to see it
Everyone talked about it”
Helping Others
As his company grew bigger, William never forgot to be kind. He helped build schools and parks. He gave money to help sick people get better.
“When good things happen to you,” he would say, “you should share the happiness with others!”
Growing Even Bigger
By 1925, Wrigley’s gum was in stores all across America. People loved it because:
“It was always fresh
It tasted great
It was fun to chew
It was easy to find “
William’s clever ideas helped make his little gum company into something huge! More and more people tried Wrigley’s gum every day. But the biggest adventures were still to come!
Trains carried boxes of Wrigley’s gum to every town. Ships took it across the oceans. Soon, people all over the world would know about the special gum that started in Chicago.
Fighting Sweet: Gum Goes to War
When World War II started in 1941, William Wrigley Jr.’s son Philip had a big idea. ️ “Our soldiers need gum!” he said.
A Sweet Gift for Soldiers
“Our boys need something from home,” Philip told his workers. “Let’s give them our best gum!”
Every soldier got Wrigley’s gum in their food pack. It helped them in many ways:
- Made them feel happy when they missed home
- Kept their mouths fresh on long missions
- Helped them stay awake when tired
- Gave them something to share with friends
The Factory Changes
The Wrigley factory became very busy! Workers made special gum just for soldiers:
We made it extra strong so it wouldn’t melt in hot places.
Every piece was wrapped carefully with love.”
Letters from Far Away
Soldiers sent thank you letters to Wrigley’s:
“Dear Wrigley’s,
Your gum makes me think of home. Thank you!
– Private Jimmy”
Making New Friends
Soldiers shared their gum with people they met in other countries. Soon, people all over the world wanted to try American gum!
“Children in England loved the sweet taste
Families in France asked for more
People in Germany smiled when they tried it”
Coming Home
When the war ended in 1945, soldiers came home with stories about sharing gum:
“We made friends by sharing Wrigley’s,” they said. “It was like a little piece of peace.”
Back in Stores
Finally, Wrigley’s gum returned to American stores. People were so happy!
“Lines formed outside stores
Kids jumped with joy
Parents bought extra packs to save”
A Bigger Family
The war changed Wrigley’s in good ways. More people knew about their gum. But most important was how it helped soldiers feel better during hard times. ❤️
Philip looked at a world map in his office. “Our gum family is growing,” he said with a smile. “Now we have friends everywhere!”
The little Chicago company that made soap was now famous around the world. And it all started because they wanted to help soldiers feel happy.
Every pack of gum told a story of friendship. Every piece shared made new friends. Wrigley’s wasn’t just making gum anymore – it was bringing smiles to people everywhere!
Sweet Success Around the World
After helping soldiers in the war, Wrigley’s was ready for a new adventure! People everywhere wanted to try their yummy gum.
Making New Friends
“Let’s share our gum with the whole world!” said Philip Wrigley with a big smile. The company started opening new factories in different countries.
Tastes from Around the World
Different countries liked different flavors. The Wrigley team got creative!
“In Japan, they love cool mint flavors!
In Mexico, spicy cinnamon is popular!
In England, they really like fruit flavors!”
New Ways to Make Gum
The factories got super smart! They used new machines to make gum better and faster:
- Special mixers that made gum extra soft
- Cool machines that wrapped gum perfectly
- Big ovens that made sure every piece was just right
- Special boxes that kept gum fresh longer
Making Everyone Happy
Wrigley’s wanted everyone to enjoy their gum. They made special kinds for different people:
Sugar-free gum for healthy teeth
Long-lasting flavors for busy people ⏰
Fun bubble gum for kids to blow bubbles
Helping the Earth
Philip had another good idea: “Let’s be nice to our planet!”
The company started:
• Making factories that saved energy
• Using boxes that could be recycled
Big Family of Flavors
The Wrigley family grew bigger! They added new gums like:
5 Gum: For exciting flavors
Orbit: For clean teeth ✨
Friends Everywhere
People all over the world became part of the Wrigley story. Kids in Tokyo chewed the same gum as kids in Chicago!
“Wrigley’s brings smiles to faces everywhere,
From big cities to small towns,
Everyone can share in the fun!”
Growing Bigger
The little company that started in Chicago was now huge! They sold gum in more than 180 countries.
But even as they grew, they remembered what made them special: making people happy, one piece of gum at a time!
Millions of people enjoyed Wrigley’s gum every day
Thousands of workers helped make the gum
Hundreds of different flavors to try
The world was becoming sweeter, thanks to Wrigley’s! And there were still more adventures ahead…
A Sweet Legacy Lives On
In 2008, something big happened to the Wrigley company. A candy company called Mars wanted to be friends!
Two Sweet Friends
“Together, we can make even more people smile!” said the Mars and Wrigley teams. They joined hands to make the biggest candy family in the world.
Making Gum Even Better
The team kept thinking of new ideas:
“Let’s make gum that’s good for teeth!
How about gum that stays fresh longer?
What if we make gum that helps people focus?”
Helping People Smile
Wrigley’s still wants to make the world better! They help people by:
• Keeping our oceans clean
• Planting trees for our planet
• Making sure workers are happy
The Big Wrigley Building
In Chicago, the beautiful Wrigley Building still stands tall! It reminds everyone of William Wrigley’s dream.
Like a birthday cake in the sky,
Showing that dreams can come true!
From Small to Super Big
Think about how far Wrigley’s has come:
Tried baking powder
Found success with gum
Now makes millions smile every day!
The Story Continues
William Wrigley Jr.’s little dream grew into something amazing! Today, people everywhere enjoy his special treats.
“From a young boy with big dreams,
To a company that brightens the world,
Wrigley’s shows us that anything is possible!”
Looking to Tomorrow
The Wrigley story isn’t over! Every day brings new chances to:
Help our planet grow
Bring more smiles to people
Keep William’s dream alive ⭐
And just like William Wrigley Jr. taught us – if you work hard and never give up, sweet dreams can come true!