14 Candies And Confections Cowboys Enjoyed In The American West

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Life seemed simpler when cowboys roamed the land, transcontinental railroads were becoming a thing, and sweet things were plentiful. Manufacturing was a nascent concept, and mass-produced treats were just beginning to become a part of the national lexicon. But sugar is a universal language that binds generations together, so it's not surprising that some of the candies and confections most enjoyed by Old West cowboys include staples familiar to modern readers.

These sweet treats include common, everyday items we now take for granted, but to a saddle tramp riding the range in the mid-to-late-1800s, it seemed like an exotic gift from on high. Of course, there are still several surprising snacks that many young folks today probably haven't heard of. These include the likes of horehound drops or anise candies, hardy things that were common decades ago but have been largely forgotten today. So, get ready to ride, because here are 15 candies and confections that were extremely popular in the American West.

One of the most frequently-eaten candies in the Old West was the candy stick — a simple vehicle for sugar and flavor that could be tucked in a saddle bag or carried in a pocket without taking up much space. Candy sticks began appearing in mercantiles and general stores across 19th century America, though no one has ever managed to quite figure out where they originated from. Initially, the sticks were simply white sugar candy with flavoring like cinnamon or peppermint in them. Time and ingenuity would change very little about these stalwart treats.

A slightly more obscure tasting treat is this slug of herb-heavy candy. Horehound was discovered in North America sometime in the 16th century and soon exploited for its medicinal properties by doctors. It was also often used in tea. Horehound candies taste like nothing you've ever tried before. Cowboys came to love the slightly bitter, vaguely vegetal candy. Used to settle sour stomachs and dusty throats on the trail, it was treated as both medicine and sweet, eventually evolving into the licorice-scented curiosity we all know today.

Back in the 1800s, taffy was an extremely popular candy to make on the frontier because it was so easy to create with supplies that were available on hand. Early recipes required only water, sugar and molasses, turning them into a common frontier treat. Ergo, they're a likely snack for a cowboy on the go who's coming back on the trail after a stop home. Taffy pulling was quite popular among homesteaders, and kids gathered from miles around and piled into a kitchen, using butter and molasses to create the gooey, sweet treats.

Believe it or not, the historic origins of candy corn occurred far before the founding of the American West. Candy corn was invented and popularized by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in the 1880s. The Goelitz Confectionery Company picked up the gauntlet after that, widely distributed the treat under the brand name "Chicken Feed" in 1898. Thus, cowboys would have been familiar with the sight of candy corn years before it evolved into the controversial Halloween staple that it is.

Much like horehound drops, anise drops were an early forerunner to licorice. Introduced to America in the late 19th century, they were one of many kinds of hard candy spice drops which gained popularity on the trail and all over the frontier. They were easy to pack away in a pocket and easy to share by a campfire and didn't melt in the scorching heat of the day. Other frequently used flavors included ginger and cinnamon.

Before vanilla became a popular flavoring, rosewater was often distilled and used to perk up cakes and candies. Small panned or sanded candies called pastilles were often made of rosewater or orange blossom water and sold at general stores all over the American West. These popular candies were considered luxuries on the trail, as were their lavender-flavored counterparts, and they were often imported from England when they weren't manufactured in big cities. If a cowboy wanted something to splurge on, a fancy tin of pastille was likely the buy.

Confections made of clove are another example of the sort of hard candies that made their way into trail packs across the west. Spices were easy to preserve due to their dried nature, making them a target for flavoring food that would last a long time. Clove was, along with nutmeg and mace, one of several spices which were included in cooking, baking, and confectionary uses during the period.

Believe it or not, jelly beans were around during the American Civil War. Candy maker William Schrafft hawked his wares by convincing families to send bushels of beans to hungry soldiers on the front. By the end of the 19th century, they were popular, much sought-after penny candies sold in general stores and mercantiles everywhere, including many frontier towns.

Gumdrops also have a past that dates all the way back to the Civil War. A popular treat for soldiers, they evolved out of Turkish delights before standing out on their own. The sugar-dusted bit of gelled candy was also much-loved in the mid-to-late-1800s. It's definitely a popular candy that's way older than you thought.

Necco Wafers were patented all the way back in 1847. Originally intended as a delivery system for medicine, the candy instead became a popular buy at general store penny treat counters all over the Old West. Another easy-to-pocket candy, the wax paper-covered disc hasn't changed much from the way they were back when they were first invented.

Whitman's Chocolates got a foothold in the consumer world all the way back in 1842. But the chocolate they sold back then wasn't a box of bonbons. Their first product was Whitman's Instantaneous Sweet Chocolate, which came out in 1877. A form of drinking chocolate, it could be easily stirred over a campfire with a little bit of water and a couple of hunks of chocolate. Back then, Whitman's bars came complete with grater, making the process of getting the chocolate into the cup easy.

Caramels had also been around for centuries by the time the 1800s rolled around, having likely been invented in the Middle East during the Middle Ages. Adding milk was an American addition that occurred at some point in the 19th century. These candies were sold in general stores all over the Old West.

Sugarplums may have been written into holiday legend by Clement Moore in 1823, but they have a long history which stretches back to the 1600s. By the time they hit American stores in the 19th century, they were a nickname for nuts, seeds, or other centers rolled in a boiled sugar coating via a process called panning. They'd then be left to cool and dry and eaten much like a modern jawbreaker — industrialization allowed them to fall into the hands of cowboys, who brought them along for special occasions.

They may be considered health food these days, but back on the trail heavily sugared and syrup-preserved fruit kept cowboys alive, acting almost like a candy while providing nutrients. Typically, in order to be taken on the trail, fruit was picked from trees or bushes, laid out on blankets and allowed to dry until they were rock-hard, sometimes with an additional layer of sugar aiding the process. It was preserved in sugar syrup via a process called sugaring. The most typical foods used in this process were peaches, grapes, prunes, pears and apples.