| postal_code = 17033

| postal_code_type = ZIP Code

| area_code = 717

| blank_name = FIPS code

| blank_info = 34-71385

| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID

| blank1_info = 1176895

| website =

| pop_est_as_of =

| pop_est_footnotes =

| population_est =

| area_total_sq_mi = 14.42

| area_land_sq_mi = 14.30

| area_water_sq_mi = 0.12

| population_density_sq_mi = 969.23

| pushpin_label = Hershey

Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to the Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey, and Hersheypark, an amusement park.

The community is located east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality, and all its municipal services are provided by Derry Township. The population was 13,858 at the 2020 census.

Hershey is also located north of Baltimore, Maryland, southwest of Allentown and northwest of Philadelphia.

History

Early settlement

In the beginning of its colonization, many of Pennsylvania’s settlers occupied the land not through acquiring the legal rights, but by building on any unclaimed land they found.

In 1681, King Charles II granted a large piece of his North American land holdings along the North Atlantic Ocean coast to William Penn to offset debts he owed Penn's father, the admiral and politician Sir William Penn. Penn's promise of spiritual tolerance and governmental participation brought many immigrants to the region. The first settlers to live near Hershey came from two distinct nationalities, the Scotch-Irish and the German Palatinates.

The Scotch-Irish immigrants left their homelands due to a number of political and economic atrocities by Queen Anne, who persecuted anyone who refused to conform to the Anglican Church. The mountains of Appalachia and the valleys of frontier Pennsylvania drew the attention of these settlers, who were joined by Catholic and Presbyterian Scottish Highlanders who fled due to similar reasons. Naturally, the Scots were clannish, and tended not to mix with the other ethnic groups settling the area at the same time. They were also politically minded and became involved in local governments quickly after settling in the area.

Other communities in the area included Palmstown (now Palmyra), Campbelltown, Millerstown (now Annville), Middletown, and Fredrickstown (now Hummelstown).

Transportation

Transportation from one settlement to the next was essential if either settlement wanted to grow. Turnpike companies were chartered to create improved roads to better facilitate the movement of goods from town to town. Governor Thomas McKean authorized the formation of the Berks and Dauphin Turnpike in 1805 to connect the cities of Reading and Hummelstown.

The Downingtown, Ephrata, and Harrisburg Pike, which was commonly known as the Horseshoe Pike, was chartered in 1803 and completed in 1819, and ran through Derry.

Education

The Pennsylvania Germans and Scotch-Irish were hesitant to accept the idea of free or public schools. They respected education, but associated it with the church, not the state. The enactment of the Free School Act in 1834, entitled "An Act to Establish a General System of Education by Common Schools" was the first great victory for public schools. In 1893, free textbooks and supplies were provided by state law in all Pennsylvania public schools. The first compulsory school attendance law for children was enacted in 1895, but there were many legal exceptions. Education has since been served by the Derry Township School District. The purpose was to provide "a perfect American town in a bucolic natural setting, where healthy, right-living, and well-paid workers lived in safe, happy homes."

In 1905, Milton Hershey began constructing a theme park for his workers which he named "Hershey Park." It officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, May 30, 1906. Located along the banks of Spring Creek, the park was an ideal spot for picnicking, boating, and canoeing, and featured graceful trees and wooded groves. ZooAmerica, formerly the Hershey Zoo, was added to the park in 1910 and housed Milton Hershey's own animals.

The public trolley system was built in 1908 in the form of a street railway and provided the citizens with easy access to other towns and cities in the area. On 15 November 1909, Milton and Catherine Hershey created and endowed the Hershey Industrial School, now the Milton Hershey School. Hershey, who had no children of his own, sought to provide underprivileged boys with the education and skills needed to succeed in the real world.

Hershey established The M.S. Hershey Foundation in 1935 as a small, private charitable foundation to provide educational and cultural opportunities for local residents. The foundation supports the Hershey Story Museum, originally the Hershey American Indian Museum, Hershey Gardens, Hershey Theatre, and Hershey Community Archives.

Since the 1960s

In 1903, Hershey consisted of around 700 people. By 1920, the population had increased to 1,500 people. By 1960, the population had increased to over 7,000 people.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hershey had a population of 13,858. The median age was 39.1 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over.

95.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,550 households in Hershey, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.6% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Transportation

U.S. Route 422, also known as Chocolate Avenue, runs through the center of Hershey, and U.S. Route 322, also known as Governor Road, passes south of the center. The two highways merge at the western end of Hershey at an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 39. US 422 leads east to Reading, and US 322 leads southeast to Ephrata and west to Harrisburg, the state capital. Route 39 provides access to Hersheypark and Chocolate World, located in the northern part of the CDP, and continues north to Interstate 81 at Skyline View.

Hershey is accessible via Harrisburg International Airport, approximately to the southwest. Amtrak's Keystone Service provides frequent rail service to the nearby towns of Middletown (9 miles), Harrisburg (13 miles) and Elizabethtown Amtrak Station (11 miles), as well as its eastern terminus in Philadelphia (95 miles). CAT and LT (formerly known as COLT) provide bus service.

From 1944 to 1981, Hershey had its own small general aviation airport on the front lawn of the Milton Hershey Middle School.

Climate

Hershey has a humid continental climate (Dfa), as is very common in Pennsylvania. Temperatures can reach up to in the summer, and fall below in the winter. The hardiness zones are 6b and 7a.

Education

  • Derry Township School District, public school district
  • Hershey High School, public high school
  • The Vista School, state-approved, private school for autistic students aged 3 to 21 years
  • Milton Hershey School, private philanthropic school founded in 1909 by chocolate magnate Milton Hershey to serve poor children. Currently serves children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade
  • Penn State University College of Medicine, a medical school affiliated with Hershey Medical Center

Sports

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! scope="col" | Club

! scope="col" | League

! scope="col" | Venue

! scope="col" | Established

! scope="col" | Championships won

|-

! " style="font-;" | Hershey Bears

| AHL, Ice hockey

| Giant Center

| 1932

| 13

|-

!Hershey FC

|NPSL, Soccer

|Hersheypark Stadium

Hershey High School

|2013

|0

|}

Hershey was once home to the Hershey Wildcats of the A-League, a professional soccer team. The team folded after the 2001 season when its owners decided that it would not be successful financially. The Wildcats were named after a popular roller coaster in Hersheypark. Hershey was also home to the Hershey Impact over the NPSL indoor soccer league.

National Basketball Association player Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a regular season game played at Hersheypark Arena in 1962; his effort remains a single-game record for the league.

The Philadelphia Eagles held its preseason training camp at Hersheypark Stadium from 1951–1963 and 1965–1967.

Elizabethtown College hosted the 2015 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center.

Christian Pulisic, the American soccer player who plays for AC Milan of Italy’s Serie A and the United States men's national soccer team, is from Hershey.

Points of interest

thumb|[[The Hershey Company in August 1976]]

The community is home to the Hershey Company, which makes the well-known Hershey Bar and Hershey's Kisses and is the parent company of the H. B. Reese Candy Company, manufacturer of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Hershey's Chocolate World is a factory store and virtual tour ride of the Hershey Company. The original Hershey Chocolate Factory, located downtown alongside Chocolate Avenue, was closed in 2012 due to high operational costs. Although many of the former factory buildings have been demolished, several were converted to modern office space.

Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company owns and operates Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium, and other attractions such as ZooAmerica and Hershey Gardens, and is a major employer of the community and surrounding area. Every October since 1955, the Antique Automobile Club of America have hosted the AACA Eastern Fall Meet here. Usually referred to simply as "Hershey", this is often claimed to be the world's largest automotive swap meet.

The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Milton Hershey School for underprivileged youth are also located in Hershey.

The Pennsylvania State Police Academy is located north along Hersheypark Drive. In addition, the Derry Township Police Department is a nationally recognized law enforcement agency.

Hershey is also home to four world-class golf courses, a few museums, The Hotel Hershey, and an opulent spa.

  • Hershey Cemetery
  • Hershey Center for Applied Research
  • Hershey Country Club
  • Hershey Gardens
  • Hershey Lodge and Convention Center
  • Hershey Museum
  • Hershey Public Library
  • Hershey Recreation Center
  • Hershey Theatre
  • Hershey's Chocolate World
  • Hersheypark
  • Hersheypark Arena
  • Hersheypark Stadium
  • Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society
  • Hotel Hershey
  • Indian Echo Caverns
  • Milton Hershey School
  • Milton S. Hershey Mansion
  • Parkview Cross Country Course
  • Tanger Outlets
  • The Hershey Story
  • Tröegs Brewing Company
  • ZooAmerica

thumb|One of Hershey's distinctive [[Hershey's Kiss|kiss-shaped street lamps]]

thumb|"Chocolate Ave", celebrating Hershey's heritage

Hershey Park plays a large role in the American Dad episode "May the Best Stan Win" where Stan must fight his cyborg clone for the affection of his wife Francine. The episode includes a musical number called "At Hershey Park" sung by a chorus of back-up singers at the park.

In Mad Men, Donald Draper was raised in a brothel in Hershey.

In The Simpsons episode "Homerland", Homer says: "I’ve never prayed to a city in my life and if I did it’d be Hershey, Pennsylvania."

Hershey was also mentioned in The Good Doctor, when it was revealed that Shaun Murphy's (main character) love interest, Lea (played by Paige Spara) is moving to Hershey, Pa. to work in her family's auto body shop.

In the American ensemble procedural series, 9-1-1, Hershey is where siblings Evan "Buck" Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Maddie Buckley (Jennifer Love Hewitt) spent most of their childhoods.

Notable people

  • Valarie Allman is a track and field athlete specializing in the discus throw.
  • Brian Baker, actor
  • John Bilbrey, director at McCormick & Company and former CEO and president of Hershey Company
  • Michele Buck, CEO and president of the Hershey Company
  • Scott Campbell, professional football player in National Football League (NFL)
  • Gigi Cesarè, actress and recording artist
  • Deesha Dyer, White House Social Secretary
  • Garry Gilliam, former Penn State University and former San Francisco 49ers offensive linesman
  • Milton S. Hershey, confectioner and philanthropist
  • Lois Herr, progressive activist
  • Geofrey Hildrew, film & television editor and director
  • John Huzvar, professional football player in NFL
  • Jules Jordan, film director and actor
  • Nellie King, former Major League Baseball pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Kellen Kulbacki, professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
  • George M. Leader, Governor of Pennsylvania
  • Trymaine Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and national reporter for MSNBC
  • Mark Malkoff, comedian and writer
  • David Nolan, Stanford University swimmer
  • The Ocean Blue, alternative rock band, formed in Hershey.
  • Steven Pasquale, television and stage actor
  • John D. Payne, state Congressman
  • Peppermint, actress and drag queen
  • Christian Pulisic, soccer player for AC Milan and United States men's national soccer team
  • Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Academy Award-winning actress
  • H.B. Reese, inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founder of the H.B. Reese Candy Company, lived and built his two candy factories in Hershey.
  • Nate Saint, American missionary
  • Joe Senser, former NFL tight end for Minnesota Vikings and former board member of the Hershey Trust Company and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
  • John B. Sollenberger, sports and entertainment executive
  • Andrew Joseph Stack III, who flew a Piper Dakota airplane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas as a tax protest in 2010
  • Jodie Steck, photojournalist
  • Jay Taylor, professional football player in NFL
  • Dave Twardzik, professional basketball player in NBA
  • Chris Villarrial, professional football player in the NFL and head football coach at Saint Francis University
  • Richard Winters, U.S. Army major
  • Michelle Wolf, comedian
  • Warren Zeiders, American country singer

See also

  • IGI Global, a publishing company based in Hershey

References

  • Hershey Community Archives website
  • Preserve Hershey organization
  • The Sun newspaper
  • HersheyNewYears.org (archived)