Idaho Candy Company

Idaho Candy Company began as a dream for T.O. Smith in 1901. T.O. was a journeyman candy maker who found himself out of work after helping build the Dewey Palace Hotel in Nampa, Idaho. He started selling the chocolates he made in his garage door to door, and the company started growing. In 1909 Mr. Smith found several investors including Charles Adams to help built a modern factory at 412 South 8th Street in Boise to meet the needs of his customers. The Adams family maintained ownership in Idaho Candy Company until 1968.

The facility was built with the latest conveniences including being the first building in Idaho with skylights and a welfare room for the employees. In this factory Idaho Candy Company grew into a regional candy manufacturer that produced over 50 different candy bars over the years and many varieties of boxed chocolates.

Three of those candy bars are still in production: Idaho Spud Bar (1918), Old Faithful Bar (1925) and the Cherry Cocktail Bar (1925). A new bar was added in 2013, the Huckleberry Gem. Our factory also produces 3 varieties of Owyhee Butter Toffee, available in original chunk style (1925), bite sized and chocolate covered.

Idaho Candy Company's most famous employee is most definitely Violet Brewer. Vi began work at Idaho Candy in 1913 when her mother took ill and Vi had to work to help support the family. Vi was only 13 years old at the time and her first job was stoking the furnace. Vi was fired twice from the company, once because she got into an argument supervisor and once because she went to dance hall, which was not an appropriate place for an Idaho Candy Company employee to be seen. Both times Vi just kept coming to work and the plant manager let her continue her employment. Later on she became the premier hand chocolate dipper for the company. Vi dipped and rolled chocolates for 50 years and later went to the weighing department where she worked for another 30 years. Vi finally retired in 1995, 82 years after she started with the company. Vi died in 2001 at the age of 101. I guess making candy will give you a long sweet life.

Today Idaho Candy Company is owned by the Wagers family. John Wagers grew up in Nampa, Idaho and bought the company in 1984 after retiring from an accounting practice. He thought that being known as the candyman would be lots more fun than being known as the bean counter. John passed away in 2006, 22 sweet years after entering the candy business. Dave Wagers, his son, now serves as Candyman. The company still makes its famous Idaho Spuds, Cherry Cocktails, Old Faithfuls, Huckleberry Gems and Owyhee Butter Toffee. We also make about 10 different kinds of bulk candies all in the same "modern" 115 year old factory on 412 S. 8th Street in Boise, ID.