Craving something sweet has long been part of human cultures. Honey is believed to have been collected by humans for a large part of our history. Bees appear in Egyptian hieroglyphics as far back as 2400 BCE and some older rock art appears to show people gathering honey. Basically, humans love sweet things and always have. The Romans used sugar, both as a sweetener and medicinally. By the Middle Ages, the profession of making sweets became a common trade. Confectioners made a decent living as only the wealthy could afford the sweet treats. Eventually, sweets were mass-produced and the market opened to a wider clientele as prices dropped. Of course, even today, many people still prefer handmade treats, which can often be purchased in specialty shops.
During the early 1900s, Cañon City had a few different confectioneries within the city. The 1908 City Directory lists City Park Confectionery, Home Bakery, Millers, Nelson’s Bakery, Ott’s Candy Store, Pennington’s Restaurant, and Star’s Restaurant under “Confectioners”. The one I’d like to talk about today is Ott’s Candy Store.
William F. Ott was born in New York City on February 28, 1870 and originally started in the jewelry business. He traveled for the J.R. Woodenson Jewelry Firm through which he arrived in Cañon City in 1900. He acted for a short time as a jeweler before deciding to open a candy store in early 1907. By December of that year, the Cañon City Record reported it as the place “where you get the best at reasonable prices”. His caramels were 25c per pound and all handmade rather than shipped from the east. The shop was located at 418 Main Street and an ad in 1936 claimed to have the best ice cream in town with a pint priced 15c and a quart at 30c. According to an employee, Margaret Dabney Walker, who worked in the store in the 1920s, the ice cream and candy was made in the back of the store and the counters at the front were made of real marble as were the mirror edges.
Ott married Etha Stumbo in 1910. His wife managed the company until her death in 1930. The couple had no children. Ott was also involved in the ranching business and operated the Ott Hotel on South 9th Street for some years. He passed away on December 18, 1941 at the age of 71. The business closed at the time of Ott’s death but was re-opened by his nephew, Raymond Bangeman, in 1944. Bangeman closed the business in 1950. He did however, continue to make candy from the old Ott recipes to sell at Buckskin Joe’s for a few years.
Happy National Candy Month!
The information presented in this article is compiled using research conducted by the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center.